Frozen Trolls
by Black Raider
Summary: His life was always full of secrets that he couldn't tell anyone, even his loving wife. When one secret breaks loose, he decided he would do anything to protect the ones he loved. He never realized how determined his family would be to do the same. A Trolls adaptation of "Frozen"! T for blood and some scary scenes.
1. Child's Play

**A/N: I'm back! I couldn't help but post the first chapter of Frozen Trolls now. I was going to wait until the weekend, but I'm just so excited thanks to your reviews from** _ **Poppy and the Grey Troll.**_ **Also, I have heard your requests, and I can say for sure that I have a Cinderella Trolls in the works and I will publish it after this one!**

 **Also, I must give a little disclaimer. Obviously, I do not own the plotlines and characters of** _ **Frozen**_ **and** _ **Trolls.**_ **But I am also utilizing characters created by Turtle Babe: the ice trolls. With that author's permission, I am using them here in this story. If you want to see where I got my information about them, see Turtle Babe's story** _ **Find Me – I'm Lost.**_

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter One – Child's Play**

There are many kingdoms in this wondrous land, great and small. The greatest and the largest are the ones known as the Compass Kingdoms: the Bergens of Bergen Town in the west, the ice trolls of Aurora's Mountains in the north, the fairies of Faerie Forest in the east, and the great beasts of Flora-Fauna Plains in the south. In the heart of the Compass Kingdoms, deep in the forest, sat arguably the greatest kingdom of them all: the rainbow trolls of the Troll Tree. There are several breeds of trolls. The rainbow trolls tend to stay in the calmer parts of the forest, where they can sing, dance, and hug to their hearts' content. They built their pod homes in the branches of trees, but mainly in the magical Troll Tree that stood taller than most of the other trees. A lake sat near the Troll Tree kingdom, feeding into a river the kingdom used for trading. Ruling this kingdom were King Peppy and his wife, Queen Joy. They were beloved by their subjects, and governed the kingdom fairly.

This story begins with the ice and snow of the mountains. No matter what the season down below, there was always some bit of ice in the mountains to harvest. The ice trolls were the best for ice harvesting, being sturdier and larger in build and bred for the wintery lands. A group of ice trolls journeyed to a field of ice now, donned in warm, fur-lined clothing, winter hats, boots, and mittens. Unlike the rainbow trolls, ice troll hair lay flat, often tied back or braided. Their skin and hair were in varying shades of blues, silvers, and even pure white. A few arctic foxes joined the ice trolls, ready to pull their sleds home.

Marching across a small, now-frozen lake on the mountaintop, the muscular creatures began their work, rhythmically cutting through the ice with their saws. Very soon, a song began. Though they didn't sing as often as the rainbow trolls, the ice harvesters knew that sometimes something as small as a song could help the work go by faster, especially if a storm came.

As they worked and the ice broke to float on water, the ice trolls each took a position. Some sliced the ice, some pushed it along the water, some hacked it to smaller chunks with pickaxes, and some pulled it onto a large cart for transport. Some of the trolls had large pairs of hooks to grip the ice like a pair of pliers and pull it from the water. One of these workers was not like the others: he was a little rainbow troll boy, about nine years old, with lavender skin, glitter freckles, and indigo eyes. His hair started out teal and faded into a more spring green-ish color. He wore yellow pants, a deep purple winter coat, boots, and mittens, his clothing brighter compared to his ice troll friends. Instead of an arctic fox, a troll llama walked alongside him. The llama had pink fur with darker pink stripes on his neck. His legs were light blue, and a green hat rested on his dreadlock-like blue hair. Though he didn't like it, he wore boots on all four feet and a very long scarf wrapped around his entire neck.

The troll boy reached into his coat and pulled out a carrot. Excitedly, the llama took half of the vegetable in one bite, leaving the other half for his friend to finish. The troll child and llama jumped aside as the ice trolls marched past him, and the children scrambled happily to keep up. The troll boy joined the ice trolls at the line for picking up the ice and watched them carefully. The ice trolls beside him watched, amused, as they lifted their ice blocks with ease while the boy's block slipped and fell back into the water. The troll boy tried again and again to lift the small block out, but instead the ice plopped back into the water and splashed him with the gelid droplets. The troll llama laughed, nudging his friend encouragingly. The rest of the ice trolls worked away, lighting lanterns when the last rays of twilight disappeared.

As the song and their work finished, the ice trolls loaded up their ice and urged their foxes on, dragging the fruits of their labor down the mountain path. The troll boy finally managed to get the ice out of the water and pushed it onto his tiny sled. The troll llama carried a lantern in his mouth and started pulling the sled, making sure the boy sat on the ice block.

"Come on, Cooper!" the troll boy encouraged.

"I'm going, Creek! I'm going!" the llama said, hurrying to catch up with the ice trolls.

* * *

Down in the forest, the Northern Lights from the mountains lit up the skies like a nightlight, giving comfort to the sleeping and near-sleeping residents of the Troll Tree Kingdom. Though the Troll Tree held most of the trolls' pod homes, the most magnificent was the royal pod. Not only larger than the other pods, it consisted of multiple pods and some of the royal home was made of treehouse-like rooms.

Currently, the royal family settled to sleep like the rest of the village. The king held his mate and queen in a warm embrace, the two of them sleeping soundly in their room. On the other side of the castle, in a smaller pod, two children also slept peacefully in the room they shared. One child was a boy, eight years old, with cerulean skin, azure hair, and icy blue eyes, shut at the moment in peaceful sleep. The other child: a five-year-old girl with skin the color of bubblegum, rosy dark pink hair, and cotton candy pink eyes.

The boy nestled under his comforter, allowing himself to fall into a deep sleep. But he didn't fall very far before a familiar voice spurred him from sleep.

"Branch!" the girl troll whispered, climbing onto the boy's bed. Her pale pink nightgown hardly hindered her movements, but she still pushed the skirt away a bit to sit on top of Branch. "Psst! Branch! Wake up!"

Branch moaned sleepily, pulling the blanket a little farther over his white nightshirt and pants. "Poppy, go back to sleep."

Poppy sighed and laid on her blue friend. "I can't! I'm too excited to sleep! So let's play!"

Smiling in amusement, Branch only pushed her off his bed. "Go play by yourself!" he chuckled, closing his eyes to sleep again.

Poppy landed right on her rear end, frowning a little. She thought for a moment, then gasped in realization. She knew only one thing that would get her best friend out of bed, so she scrambled back up and opened one of Branch's eyes. Poppy smirked craftily. "Do you wanna build a snow-troll?"

Branch finally opened his eyes as he smiled again. Okay, he could wake up for _that_.

Seconds later, the children pulled on their snow boots and hurried down the stairs. Poppy held tight to Branch's wrist, practically dragging him along.

"Come on!" Poppy urged excitedly. "Come on come on come on!"

"Shhh!" Branch whispered as he laughed. "We don't wanna wake your mom and dad."

"They're your mommy and daddy too!" Poppy reminded him with a giggle. Branch laughed too. He wasn't King Peppy and Queen Joy's official son. They found him two years ago, wandering the forest alone and without a family. They decided to take Branch in and raise him as their own, and he became a constant companion for the princess Poppy. As a result, the two children became very close. So close that, as Queen Joy noticed, a romance began to bud between Branch and Poppy.

Branch and Poppy entered the ballroom and shut the doors after them. Poppy practically dragged Branch to the middle of the room. "Come on! Let it snow!"

Branch laughed but happily obliged. He made swirling motions with his hands. His magical abilities instantly came into the light, revealing a snowball that appeared about of thin air. For that was the troll boy's power: to create ice and snow. No one outside the royal family knew Branch's secret. He loved his powers and loved what he could create. But the one thing he loved most about his powers was seeing the light in Poppy's eyes as she watched.

"Ready?" Branch asked. Poppy, smiling still, nodded feverishly. Branch suddenly launched the snowball into the air and it exploded like a firework, sending down a flurry of snow. Branch lightly stomped his foot on the floor, sending out a sheet of ice that covered much of the floor. Poppy giggled, sliding a little bit.

Once the snow built up a little, the children quickly got to work with their snow-troll. They rolled up snow into a large clump, and then placed two medium-sized ones on the top. Branch used his powers to perfectly sculpt a troll head, but he couldn't get the ears or the nose quite right.

"Hold on!" Poppy ran off to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later, her arms full. She stuck two twigs on either side of the snow-troll for arms, two pieces of coal into the head for eyes and a carrot below them for a nose. She also placed a hat and scarf on the snow-troll. Branch grinned, nodding in agreement while Poppy twirled around the room before jumping up into King Peppy's throne.

Branch used his powers to spin the snow-troll around and spoke in a falsetto, goofy voice. "Hi, I'm Snowflake. And I like warm hugs!"

Poppy clapped in delight and ran forward to hug the snow-troll. "I love you Snowflake!" She and Branch shared warm smiles.

The fun only continued from there. Using his powers, Branch helped Poppy dance and skate with Snowflake all over the ballroom, the two of them laughing all the way. The children threw snow at each other in a furious snowball fight, but it soon ended when Branch created a large snowball out of thin air and buried his friend in it. Branch made a large pile of snow like a slide and pulled Poppy to the top. Placing her in front, they slid down the freezing slope. Poppy flew off the end of the slide and hit a nearby pile of snow, made by Branch so they wouldn't hurt themselves falling on the floor. Poppy sat up in the snow pile and threw snow into the air, giggling. Branch laughed too. They both felt cold, playing in the snow wearing only their nightclothes and boots, but neither of them could care less. Ever since they discovered Branch's unique powers, the two children spent dozens of nights like this, enjoying everything that snow and winter had to offer. Tonight was no different.

Or so they thought.

Poppy jumped off the snow pile, but Branch was ready. "I got you!" he said, using his powers to create another pile of snow.

Poppy's smile grew, if even possible. "Do it again!" she cried, jumping again. Branch laughed as he created another pile. Branch continued to make piles of snow as he turned in a circle, successfully catching Poppy and making each pile higher and higher. But he could feel the fatigue setting in, and Poppy wasn't slowing down.

"Uh, Poppy?" He panted a little. Poppy either didn't hear or didn't listen, jumping and laughing. Branch suddenly yelped when his feet slipped from under him, and he hit the ice. His expression morphed from happy to terrified when he saw his best friend jump off the highest snow pile yet, whooping with joy and not noticing the lack of snow needed for a soft landing.

" _Poppy!"_ Branch cried, throwing a blast of magic.

Poppy grunted in pain as the blast of snow magic hit her head. Luckily, it knocked her off-course just enough to hit a snow bank and safely slide to the floor. Branch gasped, rushing to the unconscious princess.

"Poppy." Branch breathed, pulling the girl's head into his lap. He watched, horrified, as a periwinkle blue streak appeared in Poppy's hair and bangs. Branch began hyperventilating, realizing that Poppy didn't stir. So, like any scared child would, he immediately screamed, "Queen Joy! King Peppy!" He began sobbing fearfully. "Dad! Mommy!" Branch held Poppy close, tears streaming down his face. His powers, reacting to the child's emotions, leaked through his boots and to the floor, sending frost all over the floor and up the walls, destroying Snowflake in the process.

Branch's distressed cries abruptly woke the king and queen. Peppy had peach skin and dark pink hair complete with a dark pink mustache. Joy had sky blue skin and pink hair the color of cotton candy. They both wore their nightclothes as they hurried downstairs to the ballroom where they knew the children liked to play. But the doors were frozen shut, and they had to ram into them a few times before the doors could fly open. The royal couple took a look around to see frost and ice all around the room, snow on the ground, and their adoptive son cradling their beloved daughter in his lap.

"What are you two doing up? And what happened to Poppy?" King Peppy gasped.

"It was an accident." Branch sniffled as the parents rushed over.

Joy took Poppy from Branch's arms, and she immediately paled. "She's ice-cold."

Peppy thought for a moment. "I know where we have to go. Prepare the horses and wrap Poppy in a blanket. Get your cloaks." He ran off to the library, straight to a bookshelf across the room. He muttered to himself as he hurriedly searched the shelf. He finally found the right book and pulled it open, finding a picture of a figure performing magic. A map with a marked trail fell from the book, revealing a location known only to the royal family.

Joy and Branch waited at the base of the Troll Tree. Branch handed Peppy his cloak as he ran out to meet them. Joy carried Poppy, currently wrapped like a swaddled newborn, while riding one of the troll horses. Peppy helped Branch onto a second horse and mounted it to sit behind him. The riders spurred their horses along, past the village and into the forest. Branch, still distraught over what he caused, accidentally left a trail of ice after Peppy's horse.

* * *

Meanwhile, a couple miles up the mountain, Creek and Cooper traveled alone. The ice trolls long since disappeared to their homes farther north. Despite the invitation from the ice trolls, Creek and Cooper decided to go their separate way to their own home. However, the two orphans didn't have much of a home, so Cooper pulled the sled towards the tree they currently slept in. Sometimes they each wished that they could sleep somewhere besides a tree. They didn't mind much. They had each other, and that was most important. Truth be told, if they didn't have each other, the two orphans might have lost their colors by now. Creek lost his parents when he was a little older than a toddler, and he found Cooper when he ran away from home. Cooper never really knew his family, and he stuck to Creek like glue. The two of them became fast friends, and decided they could live with each other as family.

 _I'll always be thankful for him._ Creek thought, smiling at Cooper.

So lost in his thoughts, Creek nearly jumped out of his skin when two horses suddenly whooshed past behind him. Cooper stopped and the two of them stared at what was left behind.

"Ice?" Creek breathed. He stared after the horses. _They're making ice out of thin air!_ Intrigued, he released Cooper from his harness and climbed onto the llama's back, spurring him to run after the horses. They followed the ice trail even when the horses disappeared. Finally, the ice trail stopped at some rocks, where the horses waited for their riders. Creek hopped off Cooper's back, calling him when the llama ran ahead. Together, they snuck through the rocks to a small clearing dotted with moss-covered stones and a few small trees. Four figures appeared in the middle of the clearing. Creek recognized two of them as the King and Queen, so he guessed the two children with them were their son and daughter.

"Please, help! If anyone is out there, we need help!" Peppy called. He felt a shiver up his spine, or perhaps it was from Branch's powers. Still, quite some time passed since he visited the Valley of Earth-Touching Light.

Joy noticed movement, and she saw a troll child with royal blue skin and blue hair so pale that it looked white. A rather rotund troll, he tried to hide behind a small rock out of shyness. Joy smiled comfortingly. "It's all right. We won't hurt you. Our daughter needs help. Please."

Slowly, the child emerged from behind the rock. He wore purple shorts and a vest, cuddling a yellow and pink-striped glowworm larvae to his chest. More troll children emerged from their hiding spots around the area. One had red skin, curly orange hair in a ponytail, and rose-colored eyes. She wore capris, a crop top, bangles on both wrists, and a pair of headphones made of yarn. Another had glittery skin and sparkling white hair dusted with more glitter, his eyes gray-blue and his nose green. Two of the children had light blue hair that faded to light lavender, conjoined at the top. One of the conjoined twins had pink-purple skin and cyan blue eyes, and wore a silvery, glittery jumpsuit with leg warmers. The other twin had periwinkle blue skin and violet eyes, wearing a dress made of similar fabric as her twin's. Both of them had earrings, one a few more than her twin, and tattoos on their ankles and wrists. One of the twins carried a little baby troll with yellow skin, teal-blue hair, and light blue eyes, wearing a dark pink dress with a bow in her hair. The last child looked like nothing more than a large tuft of lime green hair attached to orange legs. The children all wore crystal necklaces, the boys' gems blue and the girls' gems pink. They stared at the royals in awe.

"It's the king!" one of them breathed. They all started murmuring and whispering at once, and the lime green tuft on legs scurried away. When he returned, an older troll joined him. She had jade green hair, eyes, and lips, her hair streaked with white and her skin violet. She wore a cream-colored dress and a knit magenta shawl with pink hearts on it. She wore a crystal necklace with a jade-colored gem. The Northern Lights shining above seemed to brighten when the older troll arrived.

The elder troll, leader of the tribe, bowed to Peppy. "Your Majesty." She took Branch's hand in a gentle grip. "Born with the powers, I assume? Such strength does not come with a curse."

Peppy blinked in surprise, unsure how the troll could've known about the powers already. But he pushed the matter aside to answer the question. "Yes, you're right. They're getting stronger."

The elder troll nodded and gestured for Poppy. Joy came closer and let the older troll look the child over. Branch swallowed, breaking into sobs again. "I…..I hit her with my magic….." he blubbered. "It was an accident."

"I know, child." The green-haired troll nodded in understanding.

The red-skinned troll came a little closer to look at Poppy. "Aw, she's cute! Can you help her, Grandma Rosiepuff?"

The green-haired troll placed her hand on Poppy's head and concentrated for a moment, then sighed in relief. "You were lucky it wasn't her heart. The heart is not so easily changed, even with magic."

"Do what you must." Peppy encouraged. "Please."

"I will remove all traces of the magic, including her memories of it." Rosiepuff touched Poppy's head and moved her hands to the air. At her command, a stream of light came down from the Northern Lights and formed a glowing circle, like a mirror, to show Poppy's memories. With a few simple waves, Rosiepuff turned the children's snow in the ballroom into fun time in a wintery landscape near the Troll Tree. "She will not remember the magic, but she will always remember the fun." When she finished, Rosiepuff gathered the blue dust into her palms and pressed it to Poppy's forehead. The little troll girl smiled softly in her sleep.

Creek blinked in surprise. "Magi Trolls?" _I only ever heard of them in stories!_ Magi Trolls differed from every other troll breed. Though many breeds had some sort of magic like hair manipulation, Magi Trolls were more like sorcerers.

"Whoa." Cooper breathed.

Rosiepuff sighed softly. "She will awaken tomorrow. Tonight will seem like only a dream."

Greatly relieved, Joy held her daughter close in a warm hug. Branch seemed worried, even a little hurt. "But she won't remember my magic?"

"It's for the best." Peppy soothed.

Rosiepuff gestured for Branch to come forward. "Listen to me, Branch. Your power is strong now, and it will become stronger as time goes by." Rosiepuff waved her hands a bit more, creating shadows in steams of Northern Lights that surrounded the trolls. Within the shapes the shadows made, the royals and Magi Trolls saw an older Branch performing his magic. "Magic is made up of both light and darkness, beauty and danger, like a rose." Rosiepuff warned. A snowflake appeared above the Branch shape, but then it took on a pointy, more threatening shape. "If you do not be a guide for this magic, it will go out of control. Remember this: fear is your greatest enemy." Suddenly, the snowflake stabbed down into the Branch shadow, destroying it. Branch gasped and hugged Peppy in fear.

"No." Peppy assured. "Branch is a bright young lad. He can learn to control his magic."

Joy readjusted Poppy to one arm and removed her leafy crown. "I hope this is enough to thank you." She said, holding out the crown to Rosiepuff.

Rosiepuff gently pushed the crown back. "Branch's powers are a gift. Promise me you will help him learn to control them, and that alone will be thanks enough."

"We'll help him." Peppy promised. He thanked Rosiepuff again and ushered his family back to their horses. The children followed the royals to the edge of their home, waving to the family as they rode off.

"I hope they come back to visit soon." The glitter-skinned child said.

"That blue one was cute." The red-skinned troll said.

"All of you come back here!" Rosiepuff called. "It's past your bedtimes!"

"Coming, Grandma!" the children called, jogging back to their guardian.

The twins paused when they saw a bit of green hair sticking out from behind a rock. Checking it out curiously, they found Cooper and Creek trying to hide from them.

"Hi there!" one of the twins greeted.

"What are you doing back there?" the other twin asked.

Creek swallowed. "Uh…nothing…"

"Did you see Grandma's magic?" one twin asked.

"Pretty great, huh?" her sister added.

"Yeah!" Cooper nodded.

"Satin! Chenille! Where are you?" Rosiepuff called.

"Over here, Grandma!" the twins called back. "We found a couple boys!"

"What?" Rosiepuff sounded amused and confused at the same time.

"We're sorry for intruding." Creek said. "We'll be going now."

"You gotta meet Grandma!" the twins insisted, grabbing Creek and Cooper and pretty much dragging them towards Rosiepuff, who waited with the children gathered around her. Creek and Cooper shrunk down under Rosiepuff's gaze, despite the kind smile she gave them.

"Hello there." Rosiepuff knelt down to be more at the boys' eye-level. "What are you two doing out here so late?"

"We live nearby." Cooper said. "We saw the royals come by and wanted to see what happened."

"That's some very lovely magic, madam." Creek complimented. "We won't bother you any longer."

"You aren't a bother at all." Rosiepuff assured. "And I certainly can't let you walk around the forest this late at night. Why don't I escort you home?"

"Oh, you don't need to go to such trouble." Creek insisted.

"I insist." Rosiepuff said firmly. "I would hate for your parents to worry."

Creek and Cooper shared a look, and their eyes traveled to the ground. "Uh….."

Rosiepuff understood at once. "You two don't have parents, do you?" The boys shook their heads. "No families of any kind?"

"We live in a tree." Cooper said. "Not always the same one each night."

"Cooper." Creek scolded. He chuckled nervously. "It's nothing, Miss, really."

"Don't be ridiculous." Rosiepuff scoffed. "You need a family. People to watch out for you and love you." She tilted Creek's head up so he would look at her. "How would you and Cooper like to stay with me and my family?"

Creek was so shocked by the offer that he didn't notice Rosiepuff already knew Cooper's name. "Really?"

"Grandma adopted all of us!" the large blue troll child said excitedly.

"You'll have lots of fun here!" the red-skinned troll assured.

"Stay with us!" the twin girls encouraged.

Creek and Cooper stared at Rosiepuff. "Really?"

Rosiepuff grinned warmly and stood up. "Children! Come welcome your newest brothers!"

The troll children cheered, gathering around Creek and Cooper in one big group hug. The former orphans shared a look, accepting the love excitedly. Rosiepuff chuckled softly at their reaction.

"Welcome to the family, boys." Rosiepuff said. She opened her arms, and Creek and Cooper leaped into her embrace.

* * *

 **A/N: So, due to FFN's rules, I can't transcribe the lyrics to the songs. But anyone who knows the movie knows where the songs go. Enjoy!**


	2. Do You Want to Build A Snow-Troll?

**A/N: I'm sorry (but not sorry), all of your reactions to my casting choices were just so funny! And I can't answer any of your questions right now because they will all be answered later in the story. And I guess I lied, because the story is** _ **Frozen**_ **but I'm adding some originality to thee plotline.**

 **Lynnajens21 – So many possibilities with adaptations! There are a lot of movies that would work really well with Trolls characters. For this one, I'm using** _ **Frozen**_ **as a baseline and making it mostly my own.**

 **Animal Girl1507 – I will certainly try and update daily. I have most of this story already written up. That's my style: write it up as much as I can and then go back and revise chapters as I update.**

* * *

 **Chapter Two – Do You Want to Build a Snow-Troll?**

Joy tucked Poppy into her bed, kissing the girl's head. She moved to Branch as he crawled into his own bed. Branch stared at his comforter. Joy gently put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Immediately, he lunged forward and hugged his surrogate mother, sobbing into her shoulder. Joy rubbed Branch's back soothingly.

"It's okay, my angel." Joy shushed him. "It's okay."

"I'm so sorry, Queen Joy." Branch blubbered, the child shaken and terrified. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Branch, we're going to help you." Joy assured. "Everything will work out. And none of that 'Queen' nonsense. You're my son too." She gave him a tight squeeze. "Just keep your chin up. Get some rest." She encouraged him to lay down and tucked him in. Joy kissed Branch's head. "Goodnight. I love you."

"Love you." Branch said, snuggling under his comforter.

Joy left the bedroom and quietly closed the door after her, walking down the hallway to her room. Peppy sat on the bed, staring at the floor. Joy sat next to her husband, interlocking her fingers in his.

"You're scared." Joy said. "I can see it in your eyes."

Peppy cleared his throat. "Branch _will_ learn to control his powers." He sighed a little, his heart heavy with his next words. "Until then, we need to keep him isolated, away from everyone. Including Poppy."

"But we can't just keep these powers bottled up." Joy protested.

"We also can't let anyone find out about them. For the sake of Branch's safety." Peppy said. He kissed his wife. "Please trust me, my love. We need to do this. For Branch."

Joy sighed. "For Branch."

* * *

A week later, Poppy sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the half of the room that used to occupy Branch's things. Suddenly the bedroom felt empty and cold, despite the summer sun through the window. She tugged on her hair nervously, pulling the blue streak in her hair down to stare at it. Jumping off her bed, she ran off to another small pod, a spare bedroom now claimed by Branch. Poppy skid to a halt at the sight of Branch in the doorway. The blue troll child cast one last look at Poppy before disappearing into his new bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Poppy stared after her best friend, her heart shattering.

Months passed since then. One morning, Poppy woke up and put on her simple, long-sleeved, sky-blue winter dress and trudged sleepily down to breakfast. But when she looked out the window, she saw the entire land covered in snow. Suddenly awake, she giggled as she ran to Branch's bedroom pod.

"Branch?" Poppy called enthusiastically. She knocked rhythmically on the door. "Do you wanna build a snow-troll? Let's go play!" Per the usual, Branch did not answer. She slumped against the pod, sliding down it. But at no sight of her friend, she knocked again. "Come on, Branch! Let's have some fun! The snow is beautiful!" Still, no answer. Poppy peered through the keyhole of the door, desperate to see Branch.

"Go away, Poppy." Branch's voice called from inside.

Poppy's face dropped. "Okay bye….." She moved away, her head hung. _Maybe I can get Mommy to play with me._

Branch stayed mostly in his room, even in the summer. But he longed to be out feeling the warmth of the sun. Peppy and Joy let him go out to the limbs of the Troll Tree, but they liked it better when he was outside during the winter to mask his powers. However, he seemed to have a bad habit of causing frost and ice to form on anything he touched.

Sensing his struggle for control, Peppy came up with something to help. He brought Branch to his study and presented the boy with a pair of black gloves. "Try them. They'll block your powers." Peppy pulled the gloves on Branch's hands and touched them. Whereas he would normally pull away from the freezing touch, now he felt nothing. "There, see?"

"At least now it'll be easier to contain them." Branch said.

"That's the spirit." Peppy tousled the boy's hair. Branch liked the gloves that helped him seem like a normal troll. He did everything he could to not create ice or snow, even tried to not think about it. Peppy and Joy seemed pleased.

* * *

Nine-year-old Poppy giggled as she skid to a halt outside Branch's door for what must've been the hundred thousandth time. She normally liked to keep her hair in a ponytail nowadays. She knocked briskly on the door to the pod. After failing to get him to ride their bike around the halls with her, she decided to do it alone. This turned out to be a bad idea when she ended up slipping on a patch of freshly-mopped floor, landing on her tailbone. Undeterred, she started running about the royal pods, trying to distract herself from the overbearing quiet of her home.

"Hang in there, Bridget!" She winked to a picture of the Bergen queen.

Talking to paintings did very little to alleviate the loneliness. Indeed, things were simply too quiet for Poppy's liking. She wanted to meet other people, or at least the trolls in her village. Peppy and Joy gave her plenty of love and she enjoyed their company. She even loved hanging out with the few servants in their castle. But after so many years of the same thing, she craved something more, something different. She knew every inch of her home, down to the last book in the library to every thread in each rug in the castle.

Things weren't going well for twelve-year-old Branch either. His powers reacted too well with his emotions, which meant whenever he was frustrated, angry, or sad, they would spiral out of control, usually resulting in a corner of his room becoming covered in ice. His colors began to dull, making him look more blue-gray in color. Strands of black showed up in his deep blue hair.

"I don't understand!" Branch whimpered to Peppy and Joy one day. "Why can't I control them?!"

"Calm down." Peppy said soothingly. "Your emotions make them stronger, remember?"

"Just take a deep breath." Joy said as she moved towards Branch.

The preteen suddenly recoiled. "No! Stay away from me!" He pushed past Peppy and Joy, leaning on the windowsill. "Please, just go. Go, so I don't hurt you anymore."

It broke the royal parents' hearts, and for many sleepless nights they discussed what they could do to help. There had to be something they could do to make the children's lives easier, to make their confinement more comfortable. But both of the royals knew the dangers if anyone, troll or otherwise, discovered Branch's powers. From kidnapping to threatening war, there was too much of a risk to expose them confidently. They didn't even feel confident enough to let Poppy roam the village, in fear of something happening to her. In their home, the children were safe.

Joy often tried to encourage Branch to practice his magic instead of holding it back. She reasoned that if he kept exercising his powers, maybe he would learn to control them. But Branch constantly refused. After he almost killed Poppy, he became so terrified to hurt someone else, especially his surrogate family.

* * *

A fifteen-year-old Poppy ran down the halls to see her parents before they left for their trip. The king of the ice trolls invited them to his home in the mountains for a couple weeks to talk about the trade business and to just catch up in general. Peppy and Joy always kept in close contact with the other troll kingdoms, and the ice troll royal family were such good friends, so the couple happily agreed. Branch, eighteen years old now, was to watch over the kingdom with Poppy to practice being king and queen, seeing how it was their future positions.

Poppy stopped briefly at Branch's bedroom door. She stared at it, thinking back to all those years she spent knocking on that door and wanting to break it down. For a moment, she considered knocking again. But she sighed and left it alone, continuing on her way. Poppy hurried into her parents' room and hugged them tightly. After so many years, Peppy's hair and mustache became streaked with gray, and even Joy's hair mixed with the aging color. Still, they held a happy and youthful aura when they held their daughter close.

"See you in a couple weeks." Poppy sighed.

"We'll be back before you know it." Joy assured. She and Peppy kissed their daughter's head. Poppy grinned broadly at her parents as she helped them with their bags. Branch waited at the door, bowing like a proper king like Peppy taught him.

Branch stared at Peppy and Joy with a mix of sadness and anxiousness. "Do you have to go?"

"You'll be fine, Branch." Peppy assured. Joy came forward and pulled Branch into a comforting hug. Peppy soon joined in, and Branch relaxed in their arms. Joy kissed his head, the action mimicked by Peppy, and then they were gone, down to the base of the Troll Tree. Branch and Poppy watched from the Troll Tree until the carriage carrying Peppy and Joy disappeared, down the path towards the mountains.

* * *

The trip north turned out to be a great success. After deliberating on some trading business, helping to fix some problems in the kingdom, and talking about recent memories, Peppy and Joy spent only a few more days with the ice trolls before starting their two-day journey home.

On the way back, a mighty storm hit. The driver of the carriage tried to leave the mountains before the storm arrived, but didn't quite make it. This left the poor group of trolls on a rocky, somewhat narrow path while the wind howled, lightning flashed, and thunder roared. Rain sounded like snare drums on the rocks and carriage.

Joy jumped at another round of thunder and lightning, and she scooted closer to Peppy. He put an arm around her shoulders and held her close. He knew Joy didn't really like storms. But all they had to do was clear this mountain pathway and they'd be home free.

Then, they heard rumbling.

"Avalanche!" one of the troll guards shouted.

Peppy and Joy felt the carriage jerk as it went faster. They didn't dare look outside. The tidal wave of snow tumbled down from above them. The horses skidded to a halt, rearing up in fear. Luckily for the trolls, the snow fell past the cliff and down to the ravine below. But a small boulder hidden amongst the snow smashed into the pathway behind them, shattering the rock. The back wheels of the carriage slipped off the edge of the cliff, jerking the royals back.

"King Peppy! Queen Joy!" the driver shouted. "Get out of the carriage!"

Joy grabbed Peppy's hand and they quickly climbed up to the front window of the carriage. The carriage continued to tip, and the driver cut the horses loose while the guards tried to keep the carriage from falling. Joy climbed through the window and pulled Peppy with her. The carriage jerked down farther, causing the royals to trip. They could hold onto the carriage itself, but their feet kept slipping due to the rain. The driver took Peppy's hand, and the king reached for his wife. The guards tried to pull the carriage up, but it jerked again and Joy fell through the window and back into the carriage.

"We can't hold it!" one of the guards shouted, he and the others struggling to get enough traction on the wet, stone ground.

"Joy!" Peppy shouted.

Joy had hit her head when she landed in the carriage, and now she was in a daze. She knew she'd never make it out. All she thought about was Branch and Poppy, and how much they would miss her. "Peppy…..take care of them…"

"Joy, hang on!" Peppy pleaded.

"Take care of them!" Joy insisted.

The carriage slipped from the guards' grips and fell, taking Queen Joy with it.

" _NO!"_

* * *

If the Troll Tree palace seemed quiet before, now it felt more like a haunted house. Two servants solemnly draped a black veil over a portrait of the queen, bowing their heads in mourning.

The next day, the entire village and many others from the surrounding clans joined Peppy and Poppy to mourn for their lost queen. Peppy and Poppy's colors dulled greatly with the loss of their wife and mother. Poppy kept her head down in mourning. She kept looking to Branch to comfort her, but the blue-gray troll locked himself away at the news of Joy's passing.

After the funeral, Poppy slowly journeyed through the halls of the palace to Branch's room. She felt dead inside. Peppy sat in the library looking through a scrapbook of him and Joy. Poppy hadn't completely lost her colors yet, but it felt like it.

She approached the old door to Branch's pod and knocked softly. "Branch?" She sighed softly. "I know you're in there. Everyone's wondering where you are."

Branch didn't answer.

"Dad's telling me to be brave, and I'm trying." Poppy continued. "I'm right here for you, Branch. Why won't you let me in?"

Again, no answer.

Poppy sighed. "What are we going to do, Branch?"

What could they do? Did they even know each other anymore? After years of being separated, Poppy wasn't sure she remembered what Branch looked like, even from seeing him just a few days ago. All she remembered was a little blue troll boy, and a door he disappeared through and never came out. Poppy leaned against the door and slid to the ground, feeling tears building up behind her eyes.

"Do you wanna build a snow-troll?"

Poppy just sat there for a long time, not knowing that Branch sat on the exact opposite side of the door. He leaned against it for a long time, staring at his room that was now covered in frost and snowflakes. He curled up into a ball, sobbing into his arms.

* * *

 **A/N: Yeah, total downer of an ending. But you should've seen this coming!**


	3. For the First Time in Forever

**A/N: Here's another chapter for you! Don't worry, this will have a lot more cupcakes and rainbows compared to the last one.**

 **GalaxyMegaGirl – yes, both parents died in** _ **Frozen.**_ **There's a reason I kept Peppy alive. A reason you will see later in the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three – For the First Time in Forever**

 _THREE YEARS LATER_

It took quite a bit of love amongst Peppy, Poppy, and Branch to help them regain their colors fully. While they didn't turn completely grey, they did often feel that leftover pain at the thought of Joy dead. In an attempt to cope with the pain, Poppy tried to be as happy as she could. Of course, it would be easier if she could leave the royal pod. Peppy became a bit overprotective of her, and kept the gate around the pods not just locked but guarded at all times.

Soon after Poppy turned eighteen, Peppy called the royal children to the throne room for a talk. Poppy hardly changed: her hair, skin, and eyes were still pink as ever, and she generally like to keep her hair in a ponytail, and her favorite outfit was usually a blue and green sundress matched with a green headband that had blue flowers on it.

When Poppy arrived in the throne room, she saw Branch already there. His greyness disappeared for the most part, though his blue skin still had a bit of its ashen hue and the tips of his sapphire-blue hair were black. Most of the time, Branch wore an old pair of patched brown shorts and a vest that was leafy in design and color. A pair of simple black gloves covered his hands.

Branch locked eyes with Poppy as they stood side-by-side before King Peppy. They broke their gaze away. Branch rubbed the back of his head. Poppy wrung her fingers.

"Hello Poppy." Branch greeted.

"Hey Branch." Poppy greeted back.

Peppy could clearly see the awkwardness between the two. But he had to ignore it. "I have called you two here for something very important." The royal children straightened up and paid close attention. "Poppy, you have finally come of age." Peppy said. "And I'm not going to be around forever. So I have decided it is time for you and Branch to take the throne."

Branch's and Poppy's jaws dropped. _"WHAT?!"_

Peppy jumped at their outburst. "I don't know why you're so surprised. This is what Joy and I have been preparing you two for your entire lives."

"But…..are we ready?" Poppy asked.

"Absolutely." Peppy assured. "I'll be your guide while on the throne. But it's time that you two marry and be crowned king and queen of the trolls."

The idea wasn't a surprise to Branch and Poppy. Branch had always been the love interest for Princess Poppy. The two of them always appeared to be good for each other, especially before Branch shut Poppy out. Queen Joy suspected that Branch had royalty in his blood, despite knowing nothing about his past or his family. Branch himself never talked about where he came from. Long ago, Peppy and Joy agreed that Branch and Poppy made a good match, and they decided the two should marry.

Branch cleared his throat. "Uh, King Peppy, I don't think we should."

"Poppy has finally come of age, Branch." Peppy said. "This is the traditional time for royalty to take their place on the throne. Joy and I have trained the both of you to the best of our abilities. The time has come for the trolls to look to you for guidance."

Branch and Poppy exchanged worried looks, but put on fake smiles and nodded in agreement. Neither one of them really felt ready for this. Poppy especially didn't know if she could do this. Branch never proposed to her, or even showed an interest in marrying her. Maybe it was always planned for them to get married and rule the trolls, but that didn't mean they were ready now. In fact, as Poppy noticed, their relationship was rocky at best. And now she's expected to marry him?

What Poppy didn't know was how much Branch truly loved her. He loved her so much, since the day they met. Branch wrote poetry about the beautiful princess. Poppy would make invitations as a way to try and get him out of his room and play with her. He kept every single one, despite his refusal to come out of his room. Sometimes he would crush the invitation right in front of Poppy, only to take it back into his room to fix it. Ever since Joy died, Branch had wracked his brain and tried to find a way to gather his courage and reach out to Poppy. He even fashioned an engagement ring for her made of wire and colorful string. He tried to propose to Poppy for almost a year. Every time he made an attempt, he felt like he would throw up from his fear. His fear that she would reject him. That she didn't love him anymore.

Despite their problems and not feeling ready in the slightest, Branch and Poppy knew they had to take the throne. Peppy was getting sick, and he couldn't rule the kingdom as well anymore. So, whether they liked it or not, Poppy and Branch were getting married.

* * *

The summer sun shone bright in the clear skies, its warmth making everyone feel good. But the sun didn't just affect the rainbow trolls; it affected every other creature sailing and walking and in general arriving to the Troll Tree. Today was no ordinary summer day. Today was the day Princess Poppy and Prince Branch would marry, and their coronation would make them king and queen of the trolls. Royal dignitaries from all the kingdoms came to congratulate the new leaders and witness a momentous occasion.

Aspen of the Troll Tree kingdom greeted these dignitaries and ambassadors at the harbor. "Welcome to the Troll Tree!" the orange-skinned troll called. "Please make your way to the town square. The wedding will begin soon."

Farther in the village, trolls set up a maypole for the celebration later. Some ways down, a lone rainbow troll rummaged through his cart when his llama friend's head nudged him expectantly. Smirking, the lavender-skinned troll turned with a carrot behind his back.

"What do you want, Cooper?" the troll asked knowingly.

"Give me a snack, Creek?" the llama pleaded with a wide, goofy grin.

Creek held up the carrot. "What's the magic word?"

"Please!" Cooper chirped.

Creek chuckled, breaking the carrot in half and tossing one half up. Cooper caught it easily and chewed with that same big grin on his lips. Creek didn't need to wear his winter gear, so he dressed only in his yellow pants while Cooper only wore his hat. Since becoming Rosiepuff's adopted sons, they also learned the ways of the Magi Trolls. To mark them as her children, Rosiepuff gifted them crystal necklaces like the other orphans. The crystals were light blue in color, but would change to a new color when the boys earned it.

The most interesting guests so far were the trio of imps who arrived. Imps were generally greenish-brown in color, dressed in rag-like clothing and always barefoot. They had no hair save for their eyebrows. Their skin had a rather scaly texture, and their nails were more like claws. Their pointed ears sat high enough on their heads to look like horns. This imp had skin that was more green than brown, and his eyes were the same color as swamp moss. His eyebrows were more of a unibrow. He wore black boots and black robes embroidered with silver and jewels, a wooden crown on his head embedded with rubies. His guards wore raggedy clothing with pieces of wooden armor, each one armed with a sword and a crossbow.

"Ah, the Troll Tree." The imp sighed. "Our most mysterious and powerful trading partner. What a joy it will be to….. _explore_ its riches."

"Oh I just can't wait to see the king and queen!" the fairy king said happily as the guests headed for the Troll Tree. "I hear the princess is especially lovely."

"She is!" a rainbow troll nodded. "Princess Poppy is beautiful!"

* * *

Fast asleep in her room, Princess Poppy was a far cry from her normal beautiful state. She had such a bad case of bed head that her hair seemed to stick up and all around like porcupine quills. A brisk knock at her door made her snort and jerk awake.

"Princess Poppy?" one of the servants called from the other side of the door. "Princess Poppy?"

"Yeah?" Poppy called as she sat up in her bed.

"I hope I didn't wake you, madam." The servant said.

"No, not at all." Poppy yawned. She propped her elbow on her knee and leaned against her arm, starting to snore again. But she forced herself awake. "Who is it?"

"Still me, ma'am." The servant stammered a little, inwardly chuckling at the princess's behavior. Clearly the soon-to-be queen stayed up late again last night. "It's time to get ready!"

"Of course!" Poppy stretched her still-sleeping muscles. "Ready for what?"

"Your wedding and coronation?" the servant said.

"Oh, that." Poppy finally blinked open her tired eyes and they fell upon a dress with a sky blue, semi-poufy skirt, a darker blue top, and spaghetti straps made of silk. The skirt part was covered in elegant silver designs, and the top part had a floral design on the front.

Suddenly, it came rushing back and Poppy gasped in realization. "It's Coronation Day!"

The servant outside chuckled at hearing the princess's fast movements, and decided he could move along to the rest of the preparations. Minutes later, Poppy came tearing out of her room while adjusting her flower headband over her hair. She passed another servant and spun her around excitedly.

"It's finally here!" She cheered, running off. The servant only chuckled, shaking her head a little. Poppy ran into one of the rooms to see the servants opening the doors and windows, letting sunlight flow into the room for the first time in years. Poppy felt her smile broadening at the wonderful sight. She ran about the royal pod, feeling as though she saw it for the first time. She rushed to a nearby window, smiling at the sight of the ship sails and carriages in the near distance and all coming towards her kingdom.

Poppy stretched her hair up and hoisted herself to the top of a pod to get a better look at the ships and carriages coming in. She pranced around on a tree limb within the gates of the palace, passing by a flurry of butterflies. She leaned her head back to let the sun wash over her face, and she giggled. "Oh I can't wait to meet everyone! So many people to see and friends to make!" She sighed. "I hope Branch can learn to relax." She gasped. "What if he does?!" She hurried back to the ballroom, where the servants continued to set up the area for the ball to follow the coronation.

What if they could rekindle their bond? What if Poppy could make Branch smile again? The thought of Branch smiling again made Poppy even happier. In her ecstasy, she moved on to the painting room to sing to the portraits, her thoughts consumed by romantic fantasies.

Across the palace, Branch approached his bedroom window to stare at the multitudes arriving at the Troll Tree. He dressed in black pants and an evergreen jacket with gold embroidery, a blue cape the same color as his hair clasped around his shoulders. His hands remained covered by a pair of gloves, per the usual, only these gloves were dark green with gold designs to match his jacket. Branch inhaled calmly. He approached a painting of King Peppy and Queen Joy on the day of their coronation as king and queen. They looked so strong, unbridled by guilt or the burden of ice powers. A candlestick and small wooden box rested on the table in front of the picture. Branch stared at Peppy and Joy's painted faces as he removed his gloves. Branch lifted the candlestick and box, pretending it were the scepter and orb he would hold during his and Poppy's coronation. Before his horrified eyes, ice immediately formed on the candlestick and box. He hurriedly put down the things in his hands, staring at his palms in fear. Could he do it? Could he hold back his powers so no one would notice? He had years of practice…..maybe he _could_ do it.

Poppy excitedly opened the doors to her room and looked out.

Branch pulled on his gloves.

Poppy ran out, ready to dart out those gates the second they opened wide enough.

Branch bravely opened the doors to his room. "Tell the guards to open the gates."

Now or never.

Poppy finally reached them, sliding past when the guards opened the gates wide enough.

It was everything she imagined and more. She could see people! Fairies, several breeds of trolls, animals, Smurfs, elves, and even King Gristle Jr. and Queen Bridget of the Bergens on the outskirts of the party where they wouldn't accidentally step on someone. So many new faces she'd never seen before! The marketplace! It looked so much more wonderful when up close instead of from the castle windows. So many new sights, sounds, even smells! If Poppy hadn't been so excited, she would've been very overwhelmed by the assault of new sensations. Branch wished Poppy would stand with him to overlook their kingdom, but she disappeared long ago and left only Peppy to stand with the future king. Branch tried to put on a façade of bravery and confidence.

While Branch was internally freaking out, Poppy bounced and danced her way through the kingdom without a care in the world. Suddenly, something hard and a fuzzy slammed into Poppy, forcing her to fall to the ground and cutting her song short.

She grudgingly pushed herself upright. "Hey!"

"I'm so sorry!" Creek yelped. "Are you hurt?"

"Sorry!" Cooper chuckled nervously, having been the one that hit Poppy when he and Creek ran for the gates.

Poppy blinked. The troll looked rather handsome. His indigo eyes made her melt a little. "Hey….uh, no, no. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Creek asked worriedly, pulling Poppy to her feet.

"Yeah." Poppy assured. "I guess I was just caught up in the song and all."

Creek looked much more relieved. "Oh. Well, that happens." He smiled warmly, mesmerized by Poppy's beauty, before he realized he was staring. "Oh, uh, my name is Creek and this is Cooper, of Aurora's Mountains."

Poppy curtsied politely. "Princess Poppy of the Troll Tree."

"'Princess'?" Creek suddenly knelt down in respect. "Your Majesty, what an honor!"

Poppy didn't really know how to respond, and she jumped back when Cooper's head almost hit her as he bowed. Her heel caught the edge of her dress, and she started to fall backwards. Luckily, Creek reached forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her in close and instinctively wrapping his arm around her waist. The two of them were almost nose to nose, and they broke apart quickly. They each chuckled nervously.

"That was awkward." Poppy chuckled, but then began stammering. "Not that you're awkward, I'm awkward and that was weird but not that you're weird I'm just…" Poppy cleared her throat. "I'm going to stop talking now."

Creek laughed good-heartedly. "I'd like to formally apologize for my friend here hitting the future queen of the Troll Tree."

"Oh, no!" Poppy assured. "It's fine. But I should get going. I need to find an engagement present for Branch before the ceremony."

"You haven't found one yet?" Creek asked, a bit surprised. Then again, if it was an arranged marriage, Branch probably hadn't found something until recently.

"Well, I just don't know what to get him." Poppy shrugged.

"Why don't I help you?" Creek offered. He caught sight of Cooper's knowing smirk and raised eyebrow. "I mean, why don't _we_ help you?"

Poppy giggled. "I'd like that. Thank you." She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, reminding herself that she was already taken.

Creek hoped the blush in his cheeks wasn't too dark, trying to keep himself from staring. _I could get used to her._


	4. Love is an Open Door

**A/N: Okay, I hate to do this to you all, but it is Spring Break for me and I am going out of the country next week! Yay for me! But also a boo for all of us because I will not have access to my computer for that week. I'll be at a conference with some mates and very busy.**

 **So here's the next chapter, and I'll update again soon! I might be able to get another chapter in tomorrow before I leave.**

 **GalaxyMegaGirl – so glad you love this fanfic! I'm also enjoying yours!**

 **Animal Girl1507 – I don't want to spoil anything, but this chapter may shake up your "Creek is Hans" theory.**

 **BornOnTheBreakOfDawn – Funnily enough, I had planned a version of** _ **Frozen**_ **that used Smurfs characters, and I decided to pay homage to that forgotten and discarded idea by including Smurfs on the guest list. I feel like the songs had to be modified a bit to fit my idea of the storyline better. You'll see more of that in this chapter!**

 **Jpbake – yeah I was imagining Kristen Bell's voice too. But when I think about Anna Kendrick singing it, I just get this big smile on my face.**

* * *

 **Chapter Four – Love is an Open Door**

The wedding and coronation were held atop a large mushroom at the base of the Troll Tree. All the dignitaries that arrived, along with the rainbow troll citizens, sat on benches arranged on the ground. Children often stood on the benches or their parent's lap to get a better look. Peppy stood on top of the mushroom to oversee and officiate the marriage and coronation.

Branch came up the aisle first. He felt rather small with all eyes on him, but he focused more on reigning in his powers. When he reached the top of the mushroom, Peppy smiled at him encouragingly. Branch gave a nervous smile back, turning as Poppy made her way down the aisle. His eyes widened a bit when he saw her. A veil and train had been attached to her headband and dress, and she carried a small bouquet of flowers. She looked beautiful, and Branch grinned a little in awe. Poppy saw this and blushed fiercely, handing her bouquet to little troll girl who could barely keep her squeals quiet. Branch offered his hand, and Poppy took it. She wished she could feel the warmth of his skin on her hand, not knowing at the time that his palm would be rather cold to the touch.

The rainbow trolls had a special wedding tradition where the bride and groom would present their engagement gifts for everyone to see. Though these gifts were often used for the proposal itself, it was necessary to show these gifts to all witnessing the marriage to demonstrate the bond between the two trolls. When it came time for the engagement gifts to be presented, Poppy went first and pulled something from her hair. She held it out to Branch, who blinked in surprise to see it was a silver snowflake charm on a chain.

"For the troll who always knew how to have fun in the snow." Poppy shrugged sheepishly.

Branch chuckled, allowing her to clip the charm around his neck. _She may not remember my powers, but at least she remembers the fun, just like that Magi Troll promised._ "Well now I feel a little silly with mine." Branch said, pulling out the ring he made. "It's not much, but I couldn't think of anything better for such a… _crafty_ troll."

Poppy giggled madly, her smile wide as Branch slipped the ring onto her finger. "It's perfect." She truly meant it. All this time, she thought Branch didn't know anything about her. This was a pleasant surprise, as was Branch's loving smile. When Peppy permitted the newlyweds to kiss, both Branch and Poppy felt warmth in their chests that told them Joy was right: there was some chemistry between them.

Then, as Peppy started the coronation part of the evening, Poppy noticed Branch getting tense. His smile disappeared, and she saw his chest rising and falling rather rapidly.

"Branch?" Poppy whispered as Peppy retrieved their crowns. "Are you okay?"

Branch swallowed. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Poppy could only assume Branch was nervous about taking the throne. She gently held his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. "Hey, it'll be okay. We can do this. Together."

Branch exhaled slowly, failing in his attempt to force himself to calm down. "Right. Together."

Poppy grinned, turning back to her father as he placed a leafy crown on her head, behind her headband. Branch bowed as Peppy presented him with his crown: also made of leaves, but also with twigs in a more wreath-like piece of headwear. The crown slipped over Branch's hair and settled just above his forehead. Branch straightened up again, feeling the full weight of his new responsibilities settle on him. Today, he was king. He and Poppy now upheld the highest power over their people.

Almost.

Peppy held out a pillow with a scepter and an ornately decorated orb, two sacred relics Branch and Poppy needed to hold while Peppy gave them a blessing and pronounced them king and queen. Poppy lifted up the orb. Branch reached for the scepter when Peppy softly cleared his throat.

"Branch, take off the gloves." he whispered.

Branch stared at his gloves. Of course; he had to do it with bare hands, so to show he fully accepted the throne without any boundaries or exceptions. But that meant he ran the risk of encasing the scepter and possibly Poppy in ice. Still, Branch took a deep breath and removed his green gloves, setting them on the pillow. Peppy nodded encouragingly. With a shaking hand, Branch lifted the scepter and turned to face the crowd of people, who stood from their seats. Poppy took Branch's other trembling hand as Peppy spoke the blessing in Danish. She was rather surprise by how cold Branch's hand felt, but she shook it off and smiled at her kingdom. Branch hardly paid attention. He could see frost sneaking up onto the gold relic in his hand, and he struggled to keep it held back.

 _Keep it together. Keep it together!_

Peppy hardly finished saying "King Branch and Queen Poppy of the Troll Tree" before Branch spun around and returned the scepter, pulling his gloves back on. Poppy gasped softly in surprise, placing the orb relic on the pillow. She touched Branch's shoulder, but he only smiled and nodded to assure he was all right. Smiling back, Poppy grasped Branch's hand and they turned to face their subjects, who clapped and cheered for their new leaders. Branch smiled back at them, happy that the worst was over.

 _That was way too close._ He thought. _At least it's over._

* * *

In the ballroom of the royal home, guests danced happily about the room, the space filled with a high, upbeat energy that it hadn't seen in a great number of years. When the music ended, the guests clapped and laughed. A fanfare sounded, and everyone turned their attention to Peppy at the head of the room.

"Our new king and queen!" Peppy announced, and everyone bowed as Branch and Poppy came to stand at the front of the room. The king and queen bowed back in acknowledgement, and the guests applauded for them before returning to the party.

Peppy left to mingle about the crowd. Poppy looked back and forth from the ground to her new husband. She knew the blue-haired troll beside her was indeed Branch, her best friend and now mate. But it still felt like she stood beside a complete stranger.

Branch could feel a little tension, but he remained calm and cool. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Poppy chuckled. "You look beautiful-ler. I mean, uh….." She cleared her throat. "You look very handsome."

Branch chuckled softly. "Thank you." He felt the tension lessen, and he continued to smile. "So, this is what a party looks like."

Poppy bobbed her head. "It's so bright."

"And what is that amazing smell?" Branch wondered. He and Poppy took a sniff.

"Chocolate." They breathed, laughing. Finally, it seemed as though the years of isolation from each other were only a dream, and the two trolls smiled warmly. Poppy opened her mouth to speak again, but Aspen's voice interrupted them.

"Your Majesty." Aspen gestured to an imp beside him, the same from before. "Malcolm, the Duke of Blasphemy."

"'Blasthem!" Malcolm snapped. He turned to the king and queen with a softer look. "Duke of Blasthem, Your Majesties. Our kingdoms are close partners, and I am thrilled to see two new rulers on the throne. Might I interest the queen in a dance?"

"That's very kind." Poppy said, wanting to refuse. Imps stood a bit taller than trolls, and Malcolm was rather frightening in appearance even if he didn't mean it.

"And Poppy loves to dance." Branch added. "I'm sure she'd be honored."

"What?" Poppy asked.

But Malcolm already hooked arms with Poppy and started dragging her off to the dance floor. "If you swoon let me know, I'll catch you!"

Branch waved after his new wife. "Sorry…."

Poppy's dance with Malcolm turned out to be smoother than expected, even if it was a bit dizzying when he kept spinning her around.

"By the way, so nice to have the gates open again." Malcolm said. "Why did they keep them closed for so long?"

"I can't say." Poppy shrugged.

"Really?" Malcolm sounded like he didn't believe Poppy.

"Well, I'm sure it was for good reason." Poppy said. "It was a decision my parents made long ago."

Malcolm hummed in thought. "All right. Hang on!"

Poppy yelped when Malcolm dipped her so far that she bent over backwards. She saw Branch covering his mouth to keep his laughter at bay, and she frowned playfully at him.

Branch greeted several party patrons as they came to congratulate him on his coronation. After exchanging pleasantries with the leader of the Smurfs, he turned to see Poppy returning from her dance, limping a little. Branch remembered seeing some of Duke Malcolm's dancing and chuckled a little. "Well, he was sprightly."

Poppy groaned. "Especially for a man in boots."

"Are you okay?" Branch chuckled, sounding half-concerned for her.

But Poppy's face broke into smiles. "I've never been better. This is the best night of my life. I wish we could do it more often."

"Me too." Branch agreed with a smile. But then Rosiepuff's words came flooding back, words of warning that foretold great danger if his powers ever revealed, and Branch's face fell. "But we can't."

"Why not?" Poppy shrugged. "I mean, we—"

"We just can't!" Branch snapped, turning from her.

Poppy recoiled a little at Branch's tone. She looked down, feeling her heart starting to crack. "Excuse me for a minute." She said, walking off into the party. She weaved her way through the crowd, feeling the tears coming. She only sniffled and blinked them away. After such a warm interaction with Branch, she thought for sure that things would be like when they were kids. But it seemed she was wrong; perhaps nothing would change. Branch might very well remain cold as snow forever.

Branch stared after Poppy, and guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders. Without realizing what he was doing, Branch hurried after Poppy and grabbed her wrist. "Poppy, wait!"

Poppy froze, turning slowly to stare at Branch. "Yes?"

Branch took a split-second to think about why he was doing this. It only took that brief moment to figure out that he didn't want to shut himself off from Poppy anymore. He released Poppy's wrist from his tight grip. "Uh…why don't…I mean, if you want to…"

Poppy raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Yes?"

Branch sighed. "Let's….spend the night together…let's talk…."

Poppy's heart soared. Branch wanted to be with her? He wanted to spend time with her? Really?! Poppy smiled. "Okay."

Branch grinned back, and he heard the music starting up again. He bowed, offering his hand, and Poppy accepted the invitation to dance. They danced across the room, graceful and smooth. They continued to dance for a while before moving off to a corner to just talk. They talked about dreams they had, fond memories they had of Queen Joy, and the things they did in their rooms. That was the moment Branch actually admitted how lonely he felt, even though he couldn't tell Poppy why he shut her out. Then, when even the corner became too crowded, they started walking about the branches of the Troll Tree, continuing to talk and laugh and at one point playfully shove each other.

Poppy noticed Branch staring at something in her hair. "What?"

Branch blinked a few times. "Oh. Just…..checking out the streak in your hair." His heart hurt when he remembered how it got there.

"I was born with it, remember?" Poppy shrugged, lightly touching the blue streak in her bangs. "Although I dreamt I was kissed by the Northern Lights."

Branch chuckled. "Well I think it looks pretty." That was half a lie. He hated that he did that to Poppy, but the streak complemented her hair color nicely.

They continued to talk, and soon they were laughing like children again. They left the party behind, enjoying the quiet of the night as they lounged on a balcony.

Poppy sighed blissfully. "I'm really glad we talked, Branch. This has been great."

"Yeah." Branch nodded. His eyes went downcast and he frowned. "You know, Poppy, I've been meaning to say this for a while now, but…" He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I pushed you away for so long."

Poppy stared at Branch for a moment. "Just…..can you tell me why? Why did you do it?"

Branch glanced to Poppy, and then looked away. He appeared to be ashamed of himself. "I…..have secrets…really big secrets about myself and my past. I was afraid that, if you found out about them, you would treat me differently. You wouldn't look at me the same way. So I pushed you away because I thought it would protect you."

"Branch, you don't have to do that anymore." Poppy assured. "And you don't have to tell me about your past or your secrets if it hurts you so much. The last thing I want to do is cause you pain." She put an arm around his shoulders and hugged him. She smiled when she felt him relax under her touch. "You and I were so close when we were little. I was so sad when you shut me out because I never knew why."

Branch cast her a reassuring smile and returned Poppy's hug. "I won't ever shut you out like that again. I promise."

Poppy smiled back. "Hey Branch? You know what?"

"What?" Branch asked. He shook his head a little when Poppy began to sing. Branch soon joined in the song. Poppy giggled when Branch flicked her nose playfully, and their song quickly became a duet. The two of them ended up dancing around the painting room, ducking out a door when a guard came by to see what the heck was going on. The two lovebirds hurried to the top of a roof where Poppy liked to sit, watching a star shoot across the night sky.

Joy filled their hearts, and they began waltzing across the branches of the Troll Tree. Their steps took them closer to the end of the limb, where they had a perfect view of their kingdom.

Poppy and Branch never tore their eyes away from each other's, laughing softly and hugging tightly.

"Can I say something crazy?" Branch asked, earning a giggle from Poppy. He clasped Poppy's hand in both of his own, rubbing the wire and string ring he made for her. "Will you marry me?"

Poppy's eyes sparkled, lifting her free hand to caress Branch's cheek. "Can I say something even crazier? Yes." They came together for a tender kiss, finally at peace.


	5. Losing Control

**A/N: Okay, here's one more chapter before I leave for a week!**

 **LivvyLeopard – Yes, technically Poppy and Branch were already married, but it was arranged by King Peppy. And remember, Branch always wanted to propose to Poppy. So this was a cute way of Branch saying "I accept this marriage and I love you." Don't worry, I'll plan out the next chapters while I'm away from my computer.**

 **Jpbake – I wanted there to be some sense of peace between Poppy and Branch, like a calm before the storm (which you'll see in this chapter).**

 **The painted lady of the leaf – I knew Branch would react like that at the "sandwiches" part. I can't say who the true villain will be, but you'll find out soon enough!**

 **BornOnTheBreakOfDawn – Yes, that was my attempt at a sweet moment between Branch and Poppy with his proposal. I imagined what would happen if it were Creek and Poppy singing this song, but I like this version better.**

 **EnoliveForever – Glad you like the story! Hope you didn't scream in the middle of a crowded room. That's a surefire way to draw attention to yourself. :D**

 **Also, reminder of a disclaimer: I'm using Turtle Babe's ice troll characters from** _ **Find Me – I'm Lost.**_ **Specifically, I'm using the characters King Frost, Queen Crystal, and Kiv. Those characters belong to Turtle Babe, who gave me permission to use them in this story.**

* * *

 **Chapter Five – Losing Control**

With everyone up in the ballroom for the party, the rest of the Troll Tree village remained silent. Nobody was around to notice the supposed stragglers coming up the path and towards the tree. It appeared to be a sled, only someone attached wheels to it so the sled could travel over the dirt and grass. An arctic fox pulled the sled, her reins held by an ice troll in the driver's seat. A collection of furs rested in the sled itself, where two more ice trolls sat and bickered while their driver just listened amusedly.

"I cannot believe we missed the wedding!" the female ice troll snapped. "This is all your fault."

"It is not!" the larger male ice troll huffed. "Kiv was the one who lost the map!"

"Do not bring him into this! You're the one who tore the map from his hands because you _insisted_ you could read it better." The female troll looked to their driver. "Do forgive my brother, Kiv."

Kiv chuckled. "Queen Crystal, my lady, I hold no ill will against King Frost. The both of you have been under a lot of pressure lately, and I only wish I could help."

"You agreed to accompany us on our journey." Frost said. "Your loyalty is appreciated."

Kiv nodded in thanks. The twin ice trolls ruled their kingdom as a team, and they ruled well. But they were still siblings, and siblings sometimes argued. Kiv couldn't blame them. There had been much sadness in their kingdom with the recent passing of Crystal and Frost's father. Now, the twin royalty had a mission of the utmost importance to accomplish. Kiv tugged at his vest a little. Ice trolls didn't wander into the warmer lands very often, and he and the king and queen long since shed their furred coats, boots, and mittens. Kiv wore simple brown pants and a vest over his bare chest. Frost and Crystal usually wore leathers and furs to show their ranking. In the midst of this summer weather, Frost dressed in furless pants and a buttoned-up vest. Crystal wore a pair of leggings and a white dress with blue and silver designs. Both of them wore elegant crowns made of silver and crystals.

When they arrived at the Troll Tree, a guard took care of their fox and sled while the trio of ice trolls headed towards the royal pods. The rainbow troll citizens bowed respectfully as the monarchs passed them, and Frost and Crystal simply nodded back. They and Kiv started up an elevator to the branches of the tree. Crystal rubbed an oval opal she wore around her neck, a habit of hers when she was in deep thought. Frost kept muttering to himself, fretting over how this would play out.

"King Frost? Queen Crystal?" Kiv piped up. "If I may be so bold, please calm yourselves. Fretting will only make this harder."

Frost exhaled softly. "You are right, Kiv. Thank you."

They arrived at the ballroom, ignoring the surprised stares from most of the guests. The ice troll royalty rarely left their mountain home. In fact, Frost and Crystal only left once before during a trip with their parents. Steeling their nerves, Frost and Crystal began their search around the ballroom.

"Over there!" Crystal said, touching Frost's arm and pointing to a tuft of pink hair by the food table. Frost, Crystal, and Kiv made their way over, and Frost cleared his throat to catch Poppy's attention.

Poppy jumped a little when she saw the ice trolls, and she had to tilt her head up a bit to see their faces. Even an adult rainbow troll like herself looked like a child or teenager compared to the size of the ice trolls. "Oh, good evening."

"Good evening, Queen Poppy." Frost bowed. Kiv did the same, and Crystal offered a curtsey. "I am King Frost of the ice trolls. This is my sister, Queen Crystal, and one of our honor guards, Kiv."

"Oh yeah!" Poppy curtsied back. "You're from Aurora's Mountains in the north, right?"

"Yes." Crystal nodded. "We wanted to congratulate you on your wedding and coronation. I hope we can continue our trading business with you on the throne."

"Of course!" Poppy assured. "The ice trolls were always dear to my mother, and are very good friends to my father. Thank you for coming all the way down here to join the party."

"Well, that is not the only reason we came." Frost admitted. "We wish to speak to our…..that is, our new king. Your husband?"

"Sure." Poppy nodded enthusiastically. "Come on. He should be around here somewhere." She led them deeper into the ballroom. "What did you want to talk to him about?"

"I'm afraid that is for his ears only, Your Highness." Crystal said cryptically.

Poppy's eyebrows furrowed in thought. Then she shrugged and resumed her looking for Branch. Truth be told, she was still reeling from her song with him. It felt so good to have the old Branch back. The one who knew how to have fun.

"Ah, there he is!" Poppy spotted a familiar head of azure hair. "Hey Branch!"

Branch had been talking to a couple fairies and bid them farewell as he turned to greet Poppy. She sounded awfully excited. Maybe she found a new friend she wanted him to meet. Though, if he had to be honest, he was getting rather anxious and claustrophobic around all these people. He couldn't wait for the party to be over. Poppy emerged from the crowd, and Branch smiled a little.

That smile dropped to an expression of horror when he saw Frost and Crystal.

Poppy was rather oblivious to Branch's reaction. Frost and Crystal stepped up, a strange look in their eyes as they stared at Branch. "King Branch." The twins greeted, both in soft tones.

Poppy still grinned all the while. "Branch, this is—"

"What are you doing here?" Branch breathed, still in shock. Poppy stared at him in surprise.

"I understand that this may seem like a bad time." Frost said to Branch quickly. "But we must speak with you."

"Poppy, why did you bring them here?" Branch growled a little.

"What's going on with you?" Poppy demanded. "You're being rude."

Branch glanced to the twins, feeling his heart beat faster. He looked back to Poppy. "May I talk to you, please?" he half-begged. "Alone?"

Poppy frowned. "No. Whatever you have to say, you can say to all of us." She stepped closer to Frost and Crystal, staring in determination at Branch.

Branch frowned. "I have nothing to say to them."

"Branch, we only want to talk." Crystal pleaded.

"I don't want you here." Branch growled. "Get out."

"Branch!" Poppy snapped. "The ice trolls are our friends."

Branch glared, but his eyes darted around with fear. He turned on his heel and started marching away.

"I apologize." Crystal sighed, looking to Poppy.

"No, it's okay." Poppy said. "I don't know why he's acting like this. What did you want to talk to him about?"

"Poppy, don't you dare!" Branch snapped, whipping around to face her again. "That's none of your business!"

"Well you won't talk to them, so _somebody_ has to!" Poppy snapped back.

"Um, Your Highness?" Frost piped up nervously. He could see this spiraling out of control much quicker than he thought it would.

"Poppy, you need to let this go." Branch ordered.

Poppy sighed in frustration. "Would you please just tell me—"

Branch suddenly grabbed Poppy's arm, making her jump. He settled very harsh glare onto her. "Leave me alone."

Poppy saw something more than anger in Branch's eyes: desperation, and fear, as though he saw a couple monsters from the Black Lagoon instead of the royal twins of the ice trolls. "Branch….."

Branch looked to Frost and Crystal. "You two need to leave. In fact, everyone should go." He released Poppy's arm and started walking towards the doors, passing Aspen on the way. "Aspen, the party is over. Close the gates."

"What?" Poppy gasped. _Close the gates? Again?_ She ran after her husband."Branch, wait!" Poppy meant to grab Branch's hand to pull him back. Instead, she pulled off one of Branch's gloves.

"Give me that back!" Branch demanded.

But Poppy kept it out of reach so that Branch would focus on her. "Branch, what are you doing? You can't lock the gates again. We have a kingdom to rule!"

"We can do that behind the gates." Branch insisted. He felt a bit of tingling in his hand, and he knew his powers reacted to his emotions.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life living like this!" Poppy argued.

"Then don't! Go out and be with your subjects if you want. I don't care." Branch's heart broke a little, but he knew this would give Poppy the freedom she rightly deserved.

"You promised me you wouldn't shut me out anymore." Poppy said with a glare.

"I'm not trying to shut you out." Branch insisted. "I'm trying to shut myself in!"

Poppy stared in shock, very much appalled and angered by such an answer. Branch only turned to leave the room, to lock himself away where he couldn't hurt anyone. Frost and Crystal exchanged worried glances. This isn't what they wanted.

"What did I ever do to you?" Poppy demanded, catching the attention of the guests in the room. Peppy glanced over, wondering what all the commotion was about.

"Enough, Poppy." Branch commanded, though his tone weakened. He could feel his powers building up, threatening to break loose again. Branch panted a little, desperate to fight back.

"No, why?" Poppy demanded again. "Why did you always shut me out? Why did you isolate yourself? What could be so scary that you would turn away your own wife?!"

" _I said enough!"_ Branch turned and swung his hand for emphasis, but a blast of ice suddenly shot from his palm. An arc of sharp icicles formed around Branch, jabbing the sharp ends towards the rest of the room as though to protect the spell caster. Poppy gasped and jumped back to avoid the sharp ice. Several party patrons gasped in surprise and shock. The room became dead-silent.

"Uh oh." Peppy intoned in a low voice.

"Oh no." Crystal breathed, dread in her tone.

Branch stared in horror, unsure if he could believe it. He lost control. He lost control of his powers and now everyone was staring at him.

 _Now everyone knew!_

"Sorcery." Malcolm breathed.

Poppy stared at the blue troll, greatly surprised. "Branch….." she breathed.

But Branch's eyes went wild. He looked all around before throwing the door open and running out, terrified beyond belief. Poppy stared after him, only breaking the stare to look down at the elegant green glove in her hand.

The one that kept all this a secret.

"Branch!" Poppy cried, carefully moving around the ice and running after her mate. Frost and Crystal followed close behind.

* * *

Branch practically dove into the elevator, taking him down to the roots of the Troll Tree. His breathing was borderline hyperventilating now, and he struggled to regain control. The minute the elevator touched the ground, he shoved the doors open, only to meet the entire area filled with more people. When the trolls saw their king, they all began clapping and cheering, but Branch glanced back up to the limbs of the Troll Tree where voices came from. Poppy and the twins were coming after him. Still fearful, Branch began running, careful to not bump into anyone. Every creature in the courtyard, troll or animal or otherwise, bowed graciously and praised him, but Branch only shoved past as politely as he could without touching them. He skidded to a halt when several trolls blocked his path.

"Your Majesty?" Dr. Plum asked. "Are you all right?"

Branch backed away fearfully, holding his bare hand to his chest. Then, his back hit a tall flower holding glitter that was supposed to explode out and rain down on the party patrons. Instinctively, Branch's hand hit the flower stem and more ice appeared. The ice covered the flower and forced the glitter out, solidifying the sparkly stuff into a terrifying form, almost like a clawed hand. Instantly, the cheering stopped as everyone stared in shock and awe.

"There he is!" Malcolm called from the elevator. "Stop him!"

"Branch!" Poppy shouted, trying to push past Malcolm.

"Please, just stay away from me." Branch begged. An ice blast suddenly launched from his palm. Frost put himself between the blast and his sister and Poppy. The ice hit the ground and caused Malcolm and his two henchmen to slip.

Malcolm trembled, but pointed at Branch with a glare. "He tried to kill me! Monster!"

Branch stared at his hand, then at the people around him, who shied away in terror. Everything was falling apart. He never felt so lost. Distraught, Branch raced through the crowd as they parted for him.

"Branch!" Poppy cried, breaking free from Frost's protective embrace and running after her husband. Frost and Crystal stayed right with her.

Branch ran as fast as his feet would carry him, panting heavily from his panic. He just wanted to get away. He wanted to get as far away as possible. He only got so far before he came to the edge of the river and had to stop. Branch turned at the sound of Poppy, Frost, and Crystal calling his name. He kept stepping backwards, terrified and wondering if he could swim across the river to get away.

Then, he heard ice crackling, and Branch looked down to see his magic spreading from his feet. The ice spread out from every footstep, even covering the waters of the river.

"Branch!" Frost's shout sounded like an avalanche, even though his tone was full of concern.

"Wait, please!" Poppy begged.

Branch looked back towards the twins and Poppy, and he hoped his sad frown conveyed how sorry he was. He willed his powers to make more ice and stepped down onto the surface of the river. Obeying, a patch of ice formed under his foot. Branch took off, every step creating another ice patch and giving him a clear shot across the river. He almost tripped, but didn't dare stop.

"Branch, stop!" Poppy started after him, but slipped on the ice.

"Queen Poppy!" Crystal hurriedly knelt by the pink troll's side.

Poppy stared after Branch. "No….." she whispered in despair. She and the twins could only watch as Branch disappeared into the forest.

Frost's eyes caught something, and he looked up. "The lake."

Poppy and Crystal looked too and, to their surprise, the ice Branch created on the river spread across the entirety of the harbor and lake. Ships became locked into place and snow already began to fall from the now-cloudy skies. But Poppy could only tuck Branch's glove into her pocket and shiver a bit as she returned to the base of the Troll Tree. Frost and Crystal followed Poppy, their heads hung. Frost kept looking in the direction Branch left. Crystal patted Poppy's shoulder comfortingly. All around them, the people murmured in confusion at the fall of snow in the middle of summer.

"Are you all right?" Crystal asked Poppy.

"No." Poppy groaned.

"Did you know?" Frost asked.

Poppy sighed. "No….."

"We apologize, Your Majesty." Frost said.

"Yes, this is all our fault." Crystal added.

"No, no, it's not completely your fault." Poppy assured as they arrived at the courtyard.

Malcolm stared at the falling snow in shock. "It's snowing. In the summer? Oh no, the king has cursed this land! We must go after him!"

"No!" Poppy protested.

Malcolm glared at the queen. "You! Is there sorcery in you, too?"

"No. I'm completely ordinary." Poppy insisted.

"That's right, she is." Frost affirmed. Poppy raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're just extraordinary in other ways." Crystal assured with a grin.

"And Branch is not a monster." Poppy told Malcolm.

"He nearly killed me!" Malcolm protested.

"You slipped on ice." Frost corrected.

" _His_ ice!" Malcolm emphasized.

"It was an accident. He was scared." Poppy explained. "Tonight was my fault. I pushed Branch too far." She put on a determined frown. "So I'm the one that needs to go after him."

"What?" Frost and Crystal gasped at once.

"Bring me my horse, please." Poppy ordered. One of the trolls nodded and hurried off to the stables.

"Queen Poppy, no!" Frost insisted. "It is far too dangerous."

"Frost and I are at fault." Crystal said. "It was our presence that spooked him. So we need to be the ones to help King Branch. Besides, Frost is right. This is too dangerous."

Poppy scoffed softly. "Branch is not dangerous. I'll bring him back and I'll fix this."

"Poppy, wait!" Peppy arrived as a troll handed Poppy her cloak. "You can't go out there alone."

"I can't just let Branch bury himself like this." Poppy insisted, clipping her cloak around her shoulders and taking the reins of her horse. "He needs my help."

"Queen Poppy." Frost spoke up. "I insist that my sister joins you. For the sake of your safety."

Poppy secretly appreciated the help. "Thank you. Then I must ask, King Frost, that you stay here and help my father take care of the Troll Tree."

"On my honor." Frost bowed. "Your kingdom will be protected."

Poppy mounted her horse, and Crystal whistled for the arctic fox who transported the ice trolls to the Troll Tree. Kiv delivered to Crystal her furred jacket, boots, and mittens. Crystal mounted the fox bareback and nodded to Poppy to confirm she was ready. Poppy looked out to the trolls who gathered around. "I leave King Frost in charge with my father." She announced.

Frost and Peppy still looked worried. "Please be careful." Peppy practically begged. "Queen Crystal, watch over her."

"Yes, Your Highness." Crystal agreed.

"Are you sure you about this?" Frost asked Poppy. "I do not wish to see you harmed."

Poppy smiled. "Branch loves me. He would never hurt me." With that, she spurred her horse into motion. Crystal kept right beside her, and the girls disappeared into the forest.


	6. Let It Go

**A/N: Well, I'm back from my trip! And I'm sick as a dog from breathing recycled plane air for a day and a half. The upside to being sick is that it gives me an excuse to sit at home and update this story!**

 **Jpbake – I have been reading your Lion King story! I'll be reviewing it later.**

 **FandomsAreLoveFandomsAreLife – I wish I could answer your questions, but you'll have to wait until later chapters.**

 **GalaxyMegaGirl – I really can't say how I translate these things. It does take a bit of experimentation and editing. The rest just comes naturally, I suppose.**

 **There's a really great male cover of "Let It Go" done by a guy named Jess the Dragoon. Look him up on YouTube! It'll help with this next song.**

* * *

 **Chapter Six – Let It Go**

High up in the mountains, just beyond the North Mountain peak, a lone figure walked through the snow. Branch hardly cared about the cold; having the ability to create it left him with a high tolerance for the sensation. But his heart remained heavy. Branch looked back in the direction of his home, his footprints already wiped clean from the wind.

Branch's fists clenched a little, and he hung his head from shame. Peppy and Joy taught him so well; about how to be strong, how to be a king, how to hold back his powers so he wouldn't hurt anybody. Only now, he failed. He failed everyone. Didn't Peppy teach him well enough? What did he teach Branch?

What _did_ Peppy teach Branch?

Branch stared at his glove, the only one left on his hand. The one that kept his powers at bay for years so no one would know…..

Almost defiantly, Branch pulled the glove off and tossed it up into the air, letting the wind blow it away.

For the first time in years, Branch could let his powers come forward. He created snowflakes in his palm, letting them fly up and fall to the ground. He grinned widely as he swirled his hands, magically recreating Snowflake the snow-troll. Branch continued to walk up the mountain, casting more snow up into the skies and all around him. The wind picked up a bit, making his cape flutter behind him. Smirking, he unclasped it and allowed the long fabric to fly away.

Branch continued marching up the mountain, a new feeling in his heart. A feeling that he could finally be free. He didn't have to hold back anymore. He couldn't hurt anyone out here. He could finally find out just what he could do with these powers. Branch wouldn't look back; even if he did, he couldn't even see the Troll Tree.

Branch came to a cliff edge but hardly paused. He pushed his hands forward and created an icy set of stairs, covered in frost. He approached the stairs, not sure he liked how lumpy and rugged they looked. Branch stepped on them, thinking of how much better they'd look smooth. Instantly, the ice bended to his will, and Branch's heart swelled with joy. He started running up the steps, creating and refining them more to create an elaborate staircase.

Branch reached the next ledge up across the ravine. He took several steps forward and stomped his foot, creating a large snowflake of ice below his feet.

Allowing his powers to fully come forward, Branch moved about the snowflake and waved his arms willowy through the air. His powers, reacting just the way he wanted, started forming a beautiful castle of ice all around him. Branch never felt more alive, more powerful. So many years of keeping his powers at bay and now he could finally let them loose and get a feel for how to use them. The ice continued to form and expand, creating elegant and wonderfully-decorated columns and archways and even a chandelier.

Branch finally finished his ice castle and realized only one thing didn't match: himself. He reached up and pulled off his crown. The crown that labeled him King of the Troll Tree kingdom. The one thing that connected him to Poppy, Peppy, and the rainbow trolls.

The one thing he didn't want anymore.

He was finally free.

With a wide smile, Branch flung the crown away and out the window like a Frisbee. That last act seemed to be what fully severed the ties between Branch and the world he once knew. He ran his fingers through his hair to loosen it up, dotting it with some snowflakes. He used his powers to fuse ice with the fabric of his pants and jacket, turning them different colors and altering the style. His black pants turned navy blue. His jacket turned pale blue and white with silver designs. He created a new translucent white cape to clip around his shoulders and flow behind him. Blue snowflake patterns dotted the cape, glittering like sapphires. His coloring fully returned, without a speck of grey or black anywhere. He smiled at his reflection in the floor, happy with the transformation, and made his way to the balcony overlooking the mountains.

Branch was no longer king of the Troll tree. He was just Branch…the Snow King of the North Mountain.

With a sweep of his hand, Branch closed the doors to his new palace, disappearing inside.

* * *

Poppy and Crystal traveled all night, continuing to search for Branch until dawn broke. During the night, Crystal finally revealed the full truth to Poppy about her and Frost's reason for coming to see Branch. The news shocked Poppy.

"Branch is our baby brother." Crystal had explained. "He was born of my parents. He was also very sickly, and the birth was premature. That is why he is so much smaller than a normal ice troll. Frost and I loved our little brother so much. He grew to be a strong, healthy child. One day, while we were roaming the lands of our kingdom, an avalanche struck. Frost and I lost Branch that day, and we searched for many hours but did not find him. Naturally, we thought he was dead. Then, the last time King Peppy and Queen Joy visited our kingdom, your mother secretly spoke with me and Frost about the fact that one of her children had ice magic within them. We did not think much about it at the time. The fact that Queen Joy wanted it kept a secret was enough for us to stay quiet. Then, we received a letter from your father, telling us about your mother's death. That is when he told us the name of his son with the ice magic: Branch.

"In that moment, Frost and I realized our brother was alive. But Father forbade us from going to find him. Besides, Father's health was failing. Frost fretted so much that we did not dare leave. Father passed, and we took time to mourn. After that, Frost and I took our chance to come find Branch. We have no intention of taking him away from you or your kingdom. All Frost and I want is to reconnect with our baby brother."

Crystal and Frost certainly had a similar skin tone to Branch, and the exact same shade of azure hair. Although, something inside Poppy told her Crystal didn't tell the full story. Ice troll hair lay flat, but Branch's hair always stood up straight like a rainbow troll. Unless he used his ice powers to make it stand up. All she cared about now was finding Branch. Crystal looked a little crushed when Poppy told her that Branch never mentioned having a family. That crushed look motivated Poppy to keep going, even when the cold nipped at her cheeks and ears. She and Crystal searched all day for Branch, their steeds trudging a little through the deep snow. Poppy shivered a bit, not accustomed to and certainly not dressed for the cold. But she continued on.

"Branch!" She called.

"Brother!" Crystal shouted.

"Branch, please come out! I'm sorry I made you freeze everything! It's all my fault!" She paused at the sound of an animal howl. "Of course, none of it would've happened if he'd just told me his secret. He's a stinker." She chuckled nervously, and Crystal also grinned uncertainly.

Then the girls yelped in surprise when a large pile of snow fell in front of them. Poppy's horse, spooked by the sudden noise, suddenly reared up and threw her off. Poppy landed right in another pile of snow, her cape going over her head. Crystal hopped off her fox and hurried to Poppy's side, helping her pull her cape off her head. They saw Poppy's horse suddenly run away, going back home. Crystal's fox, apparently trying to help, darted after the horse.

"Oh no. No, no, come back!" Poppy called.

"Foxlen!" Crystal called. "Bad fox! Get back here!"

But the beasts were gone. Poppy shivered a little more, feeling the gravity of the situation settle in. She pulled on a bush branch to help her up, but didn't realize the limbs bent over so much until she accidently knocked them loose and the shot upright, all of the snow burying Poppy and Crystal.

Crystal sputtered a bit as she dusted the snow off her hair. "Queen Poppy?"

Poppy groaned, pushing the snow away. "All right then! I'll walk!" She grumbled as she began walking, holding her skirt up high so it didn't drag as much. Crystal stayed right next to her, helping the pink queen along as best as she could. But the two queens walked for the rest of the day and didn't find any sign of Branch. By the time night came, Poppy especially was very exhausted….not to mention hungry and quite cold.

"Should we rest for the night?" Crystal asked.

"N-no." Poppy shuddered. "We have to find Branch."

Crystal feared for Branch, but Poppy couldn't exactly help her mate if she was frozen solid. Still, she had to admire Poppy's enthusiasm.

"Snow. Of course, he has snow magic. It couldn't be fire or earth or air or even lightning. It had to be _snow_." Poppy panted as she hiked up a hill, shivering. She looked ahead and gasped. "Fire!" About a hundred or so feet in front of the queens, a smoke trail snaked from the trees, indicating a home with a resident. But Poppy's joy didn't last long; she soon slipped down the slope of the hill. Her cape caught onto a branch and became torn off her shoulders and she unfortunately landed on her tail right in a creek, the icy waters making her legs tingle.

"Queen Poppy!" Crystal gasped, sliding down the hill and stopping at the edge of the water.

Poppy shivered violently from the frigid waters soaking into her dress and making her body from the waist-down numb. "Cold…cold…cold…"

"I know, I know." Crystal helped Poppy to her feet. "Come along. That's right. There we go." She guided Poppy across the creek and towards a cozy-looking cabin up ahead, the source of the smoke trail they saw. Poppy kept shivering and muttering "Cold, cold, cold," so Crystal scooped up the smaller troll and carried her the rest of the way. The skirt of Poppy's dress froze solid and became stiff. So stiff that Crystal had to break the ice again so the skirt would hang loose and let Poppy stand up on the porch of the cabin.

Poppy flicked her hair up and knocked the snow off the hanging sign. "'Drago's Outdoor Gear.' Ooh, and hot tubs!"

Crystal and Poppy hurriedly pushed their way inside, the heat of the room a literal warm welcome. Poppy gave one final shiver before looking around for a store owner.

"Hello!" A voice said, turning the girls' attention to a nearby desk. A dwarf sat behind it, wearing a green and blue sweater, blue beanie hat, and the suspenders indicated a possible lederhosen. He had warm blue eyes and a nicely-trimmed red beard. "Welcome to our summer sale." said the dwarf, whom Poppy and Crystal assumed was Drago. "Seventy percent off swimming suits, clogs, and sun balm."

Crystal raised an eyebrow, a little befuddled by the dwarf. But she remained polite. "Thank you, sir. For now, this little queen needs winter boots. And a warm coat."

"That would be in our winter department." Drago said in a thick accent. He gestured to a corner of the store, where a set of boots and some winter clothes sat on a chair next to a pair of snowshoes, a pickaxe, and some rope.

The queens shared a look. Poppy shrugged. _I supposed I should've expected this. Better than nothing._

Poppy walked over to retrieve the clothes, returning to the counter to pay for them. "By the way, has another rainbow troll—the king, perhaps—passed through here?"

"His coloring would be very similar to my own." Crystal added.

"Only one crazy enough to be out in this storm are you dears." Drago said. He and the girls turned when the door opened again, revealing a very snow-covered creature. He tried to brush the frost off his clothes, but failed to really get it off. The only visible part of the creature was his eyes and frost-covered eyebrows, surrounded by lavender skin.

"You and this fellow." Drago corrected. "Hello there! Big summer sale!"

"No thanks." The creature pulled off the scarf around his face and the hat from his head, revealing the head and hair of a familiar rainbow troll.

"Creek?" Poppy blinked in surprise.

Creek glanced up from trying to get the snow off his jacket. "Queen Poppy? And Queen Crystal, always a pleasure to see you."

"It is nice to see you as well, Little Brother." Crystal nodded in greeting.

"You two know each other?" Poppy asked as Creek walked to the winter department and retrieved the rope and pickaxe.

"Creek may be a troll like you, but he works very closely with my tribe." Crystal explained. "He is like a second brother to me and Frost. Although we still do not know your accommodations, Creek. You are not living in random trees again, are you?"

"No, my queen." Creek assured, setting the pickaxe and rope on the table and tossing a bunch of carrots onto the pile. "And I would love to tell you more, but I'm afraid I must hurry back home before this storm blocks me out."

"What interesting weather, eh?" Drago noted. "Where on earth did it come from?"

"The North Mountain." Creek replied.

"North Mountain….." Poppy breathed. Peppy always warned her and Branch about how dangerous the mountain was: treacherous slopes, icy paths, and numerous cliffs and trenches didn't exactly make it the best place to go. Apart from that, the entire mountain was covered with ice and snow year-round. Even the ice trolls didn't like it up there. No life lived up there. _And that might be where Branch is!_

"That'll be forty." Drago told Creek, speaking of his merchandise.

Creek looked appalled. "Forty? No, ten."

"Oh, that's no good." Drago shook his head. "See, this is from our winter stock. A bit of a problem considering supply and demand, you know?"

"You want to talk about a supply and demand problem?" Creek huffed. "I sell ice for a living." He jerked his head out the window, where a sled of ice waited for him.

"Ooh, that's a rough business to be in right now." Poppy giggled, but soon quieted at Crystal's exasperated look. "That's unfortunate."

"Still forty." Drago shrugged. "But I will also include a coupon for half-off one of our hot tubs." He turned to one of those hot tubs across the room. "How's the water?"

A group of dwarves sitting in a hot tub waved. One of them burped loudly.

"Come on, ten is all I have." Creek protested. "Help me out."

"Okay." Drago nodded. He pushed the carrots forward. "Ten will get you this and no more."

Creek usually kept a level head. But this was just ridiculous. Poppy hated to bother him, except she knew she needed to find Branch and fast, so she quickly interjected. "What was happening on the North Mountain? Did it seem…magical?"

"Yes, it did." Creek said a little impatiently. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, Your Highness, but I need you to leave me alone so I can deal with this bloody crook."

Crystal looked like she would scold Creek. Then, a shadow passed over them as Drago stood at his full—and very tall—height. His normally cheerful voice deepened to a threatening tone. "What did you call me?"

Seconds later, Creek was thrown out of the cabin and into the snow. Drago called "Bye!" and disappeared back into his home. Creek sat up, brushing the snow off his head and face.

"All right! Dinner!" Cooper cheered as he hurried up to Creek. He looked around, but didn't see the food he expected.

Creek sighed with a frown. "Sorry, Cooper. I didn't get your carrots."

"Aw man." Cooper whined.

"But I did find us a place to sleep." Creek gestured to the barn nearby. "And it's free."

Cooper sighed. "Well, better than sleeping in the snow."

Back in the cabin, Poppy and even Crystal were surprised by Drago's actions. "I'm sorry about this violence." Drago said, sitting back behind his counter. "To make up for it, I will add a box of snickerdoodles." He placed a small box on the counter. "Just the outfit and the boots, then?"

Poppy glanced to the things Creek was about to buy. "Uh…"

* * *

 **A/N: GalaxyMegaGirl – I apologize for worrying you! I didn't think anyone would be so freaked out. I truly had no time to be on a computer during my trip. I was out and about in Dublin with my band mates all day and had to go to bed almost immediately to wake up early in the morning. I'll be updating again later today to make up for lost updating time!**


	7. A New Friend

**A/N: My updates will be daily once more! To make up for the long wait, here's another chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven – A New Friend**

Tucked away in Drago's barn, Creek and Cooper began to settle down for the night, the former plucking on a lute. He smiled a little, content with the peace and quiet and company of his llama friend. Creek set his lute down and lay his hat over his eyes, Cooper curling up beside him.

"Nice playing."

The two of them jumped and whipped around to the door, but relaxed at the sight of Poppy. The pink troll now wore fur-lined, light blue pants, a T-shirt and a pair of winter boots in the same color, and a royal blue hooded coat with white fur on the trim and a green belt buckled around her waist. Her mittens and earmuffs matched the green of her belt.

"Good evening, Queen Poppy." Creek greeted. "You remember Cooper?"

"Hello." Poppy nodded to Cooper.

"Sup, queenie?" Cooper smiled broadly. "Can we help you with something?"

"I want you to take me up the North Mountain." Poppy said.

Creek chuckled, albeit in disbelief. "Your Majesty, forgive me for being blunt, but no. That is a very stupid idea. It would be suicide trying to go up there."

"Let me rephrase that." Poppy suddenly tossed a bag towards Creek, and he just managed to catch it. "Take me up to North Mountain. Please." Creek raised an eyebrow, opening the bag and blinking in surprise to find the rope and pickaxe. He and Cooper stared at Poppy. "Look, I know how to stop this winter. But I don't know how to climb a mountain."

Creek and Cooper exchanged a look. "All right, Queen Poppy. We leave at dawn." Creek said, laying back in the hay and putting his hat over his eyes. He yelped when another bag hit him, this one with the carrots inside.

"Sorry!" Poppy yelped. Then she straightened up and spoke in an authoritative tone. "We leave now. Right now." She walked out the door, leaving Creek and Cooper to stare after her with perplexed yet intrigued expressions.

Poppy leaned against the door to the barn and exhaled quietly. She couldn't remember the last time she had to speak with so much authority. She caught sight of Crystal next to her, the ice troll queen tapping her foot with her arms crossed.

"What?" Poppy shrugged.

"I do not agree with this." Crystal said, pulling Poppy away from the barn so Creek and Cooper wouldn't hear them. "Too many people in our party will slow us down."

"Queen Crystal, have you ever been up to the North Mountain?" Poppy asked.

"Of course not. It is far too dangerous, even for an ice troll." Crystal scoffed.

"Exactly." Poppy said. "You may know how to navigate snow, but Creek is the one who knows these mountains best. I need his guidance and your snow knowledge to lead me to Branch. I also need you to trust me. Please."

Every conversation Crystal had with Poppy showed her more and more reasons why Branch loved the pink troll. Poppy wouldn't give up, and she would do whatever it took to get back to her soulmate. Crystal just wanted to find Branch and bring him home as soon as possible. They couldn't risk losing time. Then again, she really didn't know these mountains as well as the mountains of her homeland.

"Very well, Queen Poppy." Crystal nodded. "You have my trust."

* * *

Creek hitched up Cooper to his sled and off-loaded his ice supply. They wouldn't be needing it for now. Poppy sat up next to Creek in the driver's seat while Crystal sat in the back where the taller troll had more room. Cooper took off running, pulling the sled much faster than Crystal and Poppy thought he could. Cooper didn't exactly look built for pulling sleds, but his endurance said otherwise.

"Hope you don't mind, ladies. We like to go fast." Creek warned as they made their way through the forest. A lantern hung on a hook mounted on the sled.

"I like fast!" Poppy cheered. Crystal laughed in agreement.

A few minutes passed, and Cooper kept his steady gait. Creek broke the silence. "So, tell me, what made the king go ice-crazy?"

Poppy sighed. "It was my fault."

"I am at fault as well." Crystal added. "Frost and I came to talk to the king because he is our brother."

"And he got mad for some reason and wanted to send them away." Poppy explained.

Creek's eyes widened. "Wait, King Branch is Queen Crystal's brother?"

"Yes." Poppy said simply, moving on. "So we got into this big fight. We were shouting at each other and I just—"

"Hang on!" Creek interrupted, still in shock. "You mean to tell me that your husband is an ice troll and you had no idea?!"

"Yes, pay attention!" Poppy continued. "So, I took his glove by mistake, and suddenly he's shooting ice everywhere. I mean, you'd think that'd be something he would tell me, right?"

"So King Branch is your brother?" Creek looked to Crystal now. "And you thought the best time to tell him was during his coronation and wedding?"

"Well, yes." Crystal said. "It was of the utmost importance."

Silence for a moment, and then Creek and Cooper burst out laughing like madmen. Poppy and Crystal exchanged strange looks, frowning at the boys.

"Exactly what is so funny?" Poppy demanded.

"Y-you!" Creek wiped his eyes dry, crying from laughing so hard. "You married a troll you barely knew! And you, my dear Queen Crystal. You actually thought it was a good idea to go looking for your brother on his wedding day! Talk about awkward!"

"Party crashers!" Cooper howled with laughter.

"You will be silent or I will tear your hair out!" Crystal snapped.

Creek immediately sat down in his seat, fighting to keep the smile off his lips. Poppy huffed. "I don't see why that's funny."

"My apologies, Queen Poppy." Creek chuckled. "But it sounds like you married a troll you don't even know."

"I know Branch!" Poppy insisted.

"Oh yeah?" Creek challenged. "You didn't even know he was an ice troll, much less that he had ice magic. Are you sure you really know him?"

"Of course I do." Poppy assured.

"What's his favorite food?" Creek asked.

"Sandwiches." Poppy answered.

"Best friend's name?"

"He doesn't have any friends."

"Eye color?"

"Dreamy. I mean, blue."

"You know, my baby brother lived with her for quite some time." Crystal pointed out.

"That doesn't matter." Creek huffed. "Has she ever had a meal with him? Hung out with him socially? What if she hates the way he eats? What if she hates the way he scratches his ears like a dog?"

"Branch doesn't do that." Poppy scoffed.

"You sure?" Cooper asked.

Now that Poppy thought about it, she wasn't sure. It was a rather funny mental image, though. She shook off the thought. "Look, what Branch and I have is true love, and that's enough."

"Doesn't sound like true love." Creek said.

"I agree." Cooper said.

Crystal scoffed. "Are you supposed to be a love expert, Ice Wart?"

Creek rolled his eyes, remembering the old nickname Frost once used for him. "No. But I have friends who are."

"You have friends who are love experts?" Poppy scoffed, crossing her arms. "I'm not buying it."

Cooper's ears twitched, and he slowed to a stop. Creek heard it too, as did Crystal. "Stop talking." Creek warned. Poppy didn't like the tone of Creek's voice. He lifted the lantern and took a look around. The forest was dark save for their one bit of light. Cooper scanned the forest, his ears swiveling around like crazy as he tried to pinpoint the source of the sound. The four travelers turned to look behind them. The light of the lantern made several sets of eyes glow a short distance away.

"Creek?" Crystal urged.

"Cooper, go!" Creek ordered.

"Don't gotta tell me twice!" Cooper yelped, taking off.

Poppy gasped as they jerked forward, and she heard something stampeding through the snow after them. "What are they?"

"Eninac." Creek answered.

"Eninac?" Poppy repeated. "What are Eninac?"

"They're like wolves, only our size and much meaner." Crystal answered.

Poppy looked back to see said wolf-like creatures giving a chase. "Oh boy. What do we do?"

"I can handle this." Creek assured, grabbing a torch from the back of the sled and using the lantern to light it. "Just don't fall off and don't get eaten."

"But I want to help!" Poppy insisted.

"No!" Creek refused.

"Why not?" Poppy demanded.

"Because I don't trust your judgement." Creek said.

"Excuse me?" Poppy frowned.

"Who marries a man she hardly knows?" Creek grunted as he lifted a foot to catch a lunging Eninac, shoving the wolf back.

"It's true love!" Poppy snapped, grabbing Creek's lute and wielding it like a bat.

"Whoa!" Creek and Crystal ducked as Poppy swung, nailing another Eninac in the snout with the stringed instrument. Creek looked impressed, but then a third Eninac grabbed the sleeve of Creek's coat and yanked him off the sled. Crystal caught the torch as it fell from Creek's hand, tossing one end of the rope to Creek and keeping a tight grip on the other end.

"Creek!" Poppy cried. Creek yelped when the Eninac snapped at his feet.

"Hang on, buddy!" Cooper shouted, picking up speed.

Crystal thought quickly. "Creek! Duck!" She threw the torch like a spear as hard as she could, nailing a couple Eninac and causing them to fall back. Creek pulled himself to the sled and Crystal hauled him up.

"Uh, guys?" Cooper called warningly. The trolls in the sled looked up, and they gasped when they saw the edge of a cliff coming up. But if they jumped far enough, they might make it to the other ledge across the way.

"Get ready to jump, Cooper!" Poppy shouted.

"On _my_ mark, Cooper!" Creek shoved the bag with their necessary supplies into Poppy's arms, lifting her up and tossing her onto Cooper's back. Cooper picked up speed. Creek waited, holding a dagger ready. "Now! Jump!" He commanded, slicing the ropes that bound Cooper to the sled. Cooper pushed off the very edge of the cliff and managed to make it, scrambling up the snow and onto more solid ground. Creek grabbed Crystal's wrist. "Your turn, my queen! Now!"

Crystal didn't dare disobey. She and Creek jumped off the sled and landed face-first in the powder on the other side. The Eninac skidded to a stop, growling at their food getting away. Creek sighed in relief, looking down to where his sled crashed at the bottom of the ravine. The sled exploded.

"Aw." Creek pouted. Then, he felt himself slipping. The powdery snow gave him no traction.

"Creek!" Crystal gasped, grabbing his hand before he could fall off the edge of the cliff. She, too, struggled a bit and tried to find something more solid to grab onto. Suddenly, a pickaxe on a rope appeared just an inch from her face.

"Grab on!" Poppy ordered. Crystal obeyed, still holding tight to Creek's hand. Poppy and Cooper pulled on the rope, hauling their friends farther up to flat ground. Creek lay in the snow, panting. Crystal sat up and smoothed out her hair. Poppy heard something explode, and she finally noticed Creek and Cooper's now-destroyed sled. "Oops. Uh, I'll replace your sled, and everything in it." She looked down sheepishly. "Also, I understand if you don't want to help me anymore. Come on, Crystal."

Crystal cast a glance at Creek, who already looked exhausted. "Coming." The ice troll queen said as she followed Poppy up the hill.

Cooper nudged Creek's arm. "You don't want to help them?"

"Of course I don't want to help them anymore." Creek sighed, sitting up.

"Come on. They're cute." Cooper encouraged.

"True as that may be," Creek favored Poppy over Crystal, of course. "I think this whole thing has ruined me for helping anyone ever again."

"They might die on their own." Cooper gestured to the girls, who debated on which way to go loud enough for the boys to hear.

"If Queen Crystal is with Poppy, they'll be fine." Creek assured.

"Not if they get lost and fall off a cliff." Cooper noted. "And we won't get our new sled if they're dead."

Creek highly doubted he would be anything more than a simple guide for them. He couldn't deny Cooper's logic, though. "Sometimes I really don't like you." He sighed and called to the girls. "Hold on! We're coming."

"You are?!" Poppy asked excitedly. "I mean, sure. We'll let you tag along."

Crystal shook her head with a smile. "Come along, Creek. We have a long way to go."

Creek chuckled a little, rolling his eyes. "Yes, my queen."

* * *

The quartet continued their journey, this time with Creek and Cooper in the lead. They climbed higher and higher into the mountains, trying to move as much as possible so they wouldn't feel so cold. Poppy and Crystal constantly played out scenarios in their head about how they would approach Branch. If they didn't do this properly, it would make things worse.

Poppy turned to look out over the land, and she saw something familiar. She gasped. "The Troll Tree."

Crystal, Creek, and Cooper followed her gaze and their eyes widened at the sight of so much white. "I didn't think it would be _this_ bad." Creek breathed.

"But it'll be okay." Poppy assured. "Branch can thaw it."

"You're sure about that?" Creek asked.

"Of course." Crystal nodded. "Now, which way to the North Mountain?"

Creek chuckled and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "That way."

Poppy and Crystal looked up to a far peak, the latter dreading the hike less than the former. Crystal took many a hike with Frost in their youth. This wouldn't be a problem at all. Poppy, as active as she could be, did not look forward to the arduous hike. Luckily, the thought of seeing Branch again motivated her pretty well.

The clouds brightened to a soft white color, allowing the daytime light to cover the land. In that light, the travelers could get a full view of the small forest they walked through. A little waterfall flowed into a creek, although the water long since froze solid. The snow crunched softly under everyone's boots. Droplets of ice hung on willow tree branches. Creek ran his hand through the low-hanging, thin branches, causing the ice droplets to make musical tinkling sounds. In the daytime, the wintery landscape didn't look nearly as scary.

"I never knew winter could be so beautiful." Poppy breathed.

"There is more to snow and ice than the storms." Crystal said wisely. "Then again, my entire life revolves around the winter." She sighed, a blissful smile on her lips. "It is truly magical."

"Gorgeous." Creek admitted.

"Yeah! It really is beautiful, isn't it?"

The quartet froze at the new voice, exchanging looks when they realized it wasn't any of them. They slowly stepped forward, listening to the young, female voice continuing to speak.

"But it's so white! How about a little color? Don't get me wrong, the white is lovely. But wouldn't some rainbows here and there make it even more awesome?"

When Poppy, Crystal, Creek, and Cooper turned to the source of the voice, they collectively gasped in surprise to see a snow-troll appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The snow-troll had the appearance of a child, half Poppy's height, wearing a T-shirt and pair of shorts that looked to be made of frosted ice. Twigs stuck out of the snow-troll's head like rainbow troll hair, and the snow-troll even had eyebrows. The snow-troll had thin sticks for arms and very lifelike eyes, complete with pupils and irises that were azure blue in color.

"What do you think?" the snow-troll suddenly spoke.

Poppy screamed, kicking the snow-troll's head off her body. Creek caught the head, and the snow-troll grinned and said, "Hi!"

"You're creepy." Creek tossed the head back to Poppy, who threw it at Crystal, who threw it again and started a strange game of catch amongst the three of them as the snow-troll smiled away while trying to calm them down.

"I don't want it!"

"Back at you!"

"Get it away!"

"Please don't drop me."

"Come on, it's just a head."

"It is unnatural!"

"Keep it away from me!"

"All right, we got off to a bad start."

Poppy saw the snow-troll's body wandering around, trying to find its head again. "Eek!" Poppy shoved the snow-troll's head out of her hands, hitting the body and sending it to the ground. When the snow-troll sat up again, her head was upside-down on her body.

"Whoa, that is so cool!" the snow-troll asked. "How are you all hanging off the earth like a bat?"

Now that everyone calmed down, they realized they may have overreacted. "Okay, hold on." Poppy came forward and gently lifted up the snow-troll's head, setting it right-side-up again.

"Oh, much better!" the snow-troll sighed. "Now I'm perfect!"

"Well, almost." Poppy reached into Creek's bag for a carrot.

"Isn't it always just a pain when your head flies off?" The snow-troll commented to Crystal, who only stared at the creature with an awed and perplexed expression.

When the snow-troll looked back at Poppy, the pink troll pushed a carrot into her face. Only Poppy pushed too hard, and the carrot went right through the snow-troll's head. "Oh, sorry!" Poppy gasped. "Are you okay?"

The snow-troll looked down to the tiny nub of carrot sticking out of her snow skin. "Are you kidding me? I've always wanted a nose!" Her voice became rather squeaky. "It's so cute. It's like a little baby unicorn." Poppy reached up behind the snow-troll's head and pushed the carrot back in so more of it stuck out of the snow-troll's face. The snow-troll gasped. "Oh that's even better!"

"I beg your pardon." Crystal spoke up as the trolls knelt down to be more at eye-level with the small snow-troll. "But who are you?"

"Oh right!" The snow-troll chirped. She cleared her throat. "Hi everyone, I'm Snowflake. And I like warm hugs!"

Something sparked in Poppy's memories. "Snowflake?" The appearance of the snow-troll definitely brought back something familiar, and Poppy suddenly remembered her and Branch playing as children. "That's right. Snowflake!"

"And you are…?" Snowflake asked.

"I'm Poppy." Poppy introduced.

Snowflake looked to Cooper and Creek. "And who's the funny-looking giraffe over there?"

"Hey!" Cooper pouted.

"That's Cooper." Poppy explained to Snowflake.

"Uh-huh." Snowflake nodded. "And who's the llama?"

"Hey!" Creek snapped while Cooper snickered.

"Cooper…." Poppy answered Snowflake.

"Oh! Well, that makes things easier for me." Snowflake pointed to Crystal. "Who's the pretty lady?"

"That's Queen Crystal." Poppy said.

Snowflake gasped, bowing so low to Queen Crystal that her carrot nose brushed the ground. "Nice to meet you, Your Majesty!"

Crystal giggled a little. "The pleasure is mine, Little One."

"Snowflake, did Branch build you?" Poppy asked.

"Yeah, why?" Snowflake nodded.

"Do you know where he is?" Poppy asked.

"Yeah, why?" Snowflake still had that wide grin on her lips.

"Could you please show us the way?" Crystal asked the snow-troll.

"Yeah, why?" Snowflake asked.

"I'll tell you why!" Creek said. "We need Branch to stop this impromptu winter."

"Why?" Snowflake asked.

"So that summer can continue as normal." Crystal said.

"Summer?" Snowflake gasped. "Oh, I just love summer! The sun! The beach! The heat!"

The troll quartet exchanged looks. "Uh, little snow girl?" Cooper raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you don't have a lot of experience with heat."

"Nope!" Snowflake confirmed. "But I can already imagine what it's like." She sighed blissfully, beginning a little song. Snowflake jumped up onto a frozen flower, swinging around and staring up at the clouds blissfully. The snow-troll began to dance, pulling the travelers in with her. Crystal was rather befuddled by it all. Creek and Cooper laughed, both amused and confused. Poppy thought it was a hoot-and-a-half.

"I'm going to tell her." Creek decided.

"Creek!" Crystal scolded.

"Don't you dare." Poppy added.

Snowflake finished her song and bowed. Poppy clapped gleefully, and even Crystal offered a little applause. Snowflake bowed low.

"Well, let's go!" Snowflake urged. "Branch is this way!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Poppy laughed as she, Crystal, and Cooper started following the snow-troll.

Creek stared after them. "Somebody has to tell her."


	8. An Almost Kiss

**Chapter Eight – An Almost Kiss**

Meanwhile, the citizens and monarchs trapped in the Troll Tree kingdom tried to make the best of their situation. Even King Gristle and Queen Bridget couldn't leave, and had to make camp with the king of the Fauna-Flora Plains. Within the kingdom itself, the trolls pulled their winter gear out of storage and shared much of the cold-weather clothing with their visitors, who were completely unprepared.

Frost walked around with Kiv and a couple troll guards, handing out cloaks. "Cloaks? Does anyone need a cloak?"

A mother rainbow troll accepted the cloak gratefully. "We are indebted to you, King Frost."

"It's no trouble at all." Frost assured her. He turned and called out to the other citizens. "The royal pod is open. There is soup and hot chocolate available in the ballroom." He handed his pile of cloaks to Aspen standing nearby. "Here, pass these out." Aspen nodded, and he and the other troll guards departed.

"I fear for the safety of our queens." Kiv admitted. "Should they not have returned by now?"

"Do not doubt my sister's power and Queen Poppy's drive." Frost assured. "Besides, my baby brother was fueled by fear when he ran away. He surely traveled far in a short amount of time, and the winds would have erased his tracks by the time my sister and Queen Poppy departed."

"King Frost!" Malcolm snapped as he and his henchmen stomped up to the ice troll. "Are we expected to just sit here and freeze while you give away valuable goods?"

Frost frowned. Ever since he laid eyes on Malcolm, he had a bad feeling about the leader of the imps. There was just something not right about him. Still, Frost hid his dislike. "Queen Poppy has given her orders—"

"And that's another thing!" Malcolm interrupted. "Has it at all dawned on you that Queen Poppy is in on this scheme?"

Frost suddenly grabbed a fistful of Malcolm's shirt, yanking him up to his tiptoes. Imps only stood a little shorter than ice trolls. " _Do not_ question our queen." Frost growled. "She trust me with her kingdom, and I will not hesitate to protect it!" He shoved Malcolm back, where his henchmen caught him. Malcolm huffed, smoothing out his robes.

The sound of a horse neighing frantically caught their attention, and Frost saw Poppy's horse galloping towards them. Crystal's arctic fox herded the horse like a sheepdog until Kiv and Frost could calm the animals down. Seeing the steeds without their riders worried Frost even more, and he glanced towards the mountains.

 _Crystal can take care of herself and Queen Poppy. Still….._ Frost looked out to the trolls and other creatures gathering around. "I need volunteers to journey with Kiv to find the queens!" Several piped up that they would do it.

"I volunteer my men, milord!" Malcolm spoke up.

Frost nodded reluctantly. As Kiv mounted Foxlen, Frost grabbed the guard's arm and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Do not let Malcolm's men out of your sight. I do not trust them."

"Neither do I." Kiv admitted.

"Find my brother." Frost commanded. "Bring him back alive and unharmed."

"Yes, my king." Kiv nodded.

Frost saw them off, watching Kiv depart with a group of volunteers. Deciding that nothing more could be done in the village, Frost journeyed back up into the Troll Tree and stepped into the royal pod. He couldn't remove his coat because most of the royal home was cold save for the few rooms that had fireplaces. Frost walked up to Peppy's room, quietly stepping inside. Several kings and queens stood around Peppy's bed, comforting the ill king. Peppy had tried to help take care of his kingdom, but the cold seemed to amplify his subtle sickness and he collapsed. So Frost gently ordered Peppy to rest while he cared for the Troll Tree kingdom.

"How are our subjects, King Frost?" the queen of the elves asked.

"Taken care of." Frost assured. He noticed Peppy staring off into space. "May I have a moment alone with our illustrious King Peppy?"

The other monarchs bowed as they left, and Frost shut the door behind them. The ice troll king came over to Peppy's bedside. Peppy looked paler, his eyes apparently locked in a thousand-yard stare. He coughed a few times. Frost sat on the edge of the bed to be more at Peppy's eye-level, and that's when the rainbow troll king seemed to notice Frost.

"King Frost? Where are my daughter and son-in-law?" Peppy rasped.

Frost looked down. "They have not returned yet, Your Majesty."

Peppy moaned softly. "I have to go….I have to find them."

Frost gently pushed Peppy back down. "You need to rest, King Peppy. You're far too ill to be moving. Rest, and get better, and you will see Queen Poppy and King Branch again."

Peppy sighed. "King Frost, I have a secret to tell you."

Frost's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "What is it?"

Peppy didn't speak for a moment, his eyes getting watery. "I'm dying, Frost. I've been sick for months. Dr. Plum expects me to die within a few weeks. That's why I wanted Poppy and Branch to take the throne, even if they weren't ready." Peppy sighed shakily. "I'm afraid, Frost. I'm afraid I won't see them again. They need to know how sorry I am. I told Branch to hide his powers. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them show. All of this is my fault."

"No, no it isn't." Frost assured, ignoring the fact that Peppy dropped all formality when speaking to him. The rainbow troll king was in too much pain and far too sick to put on a smokescreen of regality. "King Peppy, I'm sure my brother knows how much you love him. You and your wife cared so much for him, and I am forever grateful."

Peppy weakly raised a hand to wipe his tears away. "Do you think he will ever forgive me? Those powers of his. They _are_ a gift, not a curse."

Frost smiled. "I promise you that my brother will return, and he will hold no ill will against you. Your daughter and my baby brother will come home, and everything will be all right. You have my word that nothing will happen to them, or your kingdom."

Peppy gave a watery smile. "Thank you, King Frost."

* * *

"I say we stop for a picnic!" Poppy declared.

Everyone stopped and stared at the pink queen. "What?"

"Yay!" Snowflake cheered. "Picnic!"

"I am a bit hungry myself." Cooper admitted.

"Then let's eat!" Poppy encouraged.

"Eat what, exactly?" Creek asked. "My sled went over a cliff, remember? All we got now are carrots. And not many left, mind you."

"Well, there should be some summer berries around here." Poppy said. "They may have survived the flash-freezing of Branch's winter."

"Creek, why don't you make a fire?" Crystal suggested. "Queen Poppy is right. We traveled far and for a long time. We should rest for a while."

"As you wish, my queen." Creek nodded. "Come on, Cooper. Help me gather a bit of firewood."

"You can come with us, Snowflake, if you'd like." Poppy offered.

"Yay!" Snowflake cheered. She held Crystal's hand and swung it back and forth.

Crystal giggled at Snowflake's childlike personality. "You remind me of my baby brother, Little Snowy One."

"Well, Branch made me." Snowflake said simply. She suddenly had a thoughtful look on her face. "Does that make him my daddy?"

"I guess." Poppy shrugged. "And since he's my husband, that makes me your mommy."

"So if Crystal is my daddy's sister, what do I call her?" Snowflake asked.

"I would be your aunt." Crystal answered.

"And Cooper and Cooper?" Snowflake asked.

"They're very good, family-like friends." Crystal replied.

"Or maybe something like cousins." Poppy joked.

"Yay!" Snowflake cheered, bouncing forward and spinning/dancing around. "I got a family! I always wanted a family!"

Crystal and Poppy laughed as Snowflake began humming a little tune as she skipped. Crystal's smile shrunk a little. "My baby brother was once full of life like that. He seems to have changed too much."

"He's just scared." Poppy assured. "We'll get him back. I know it."

"I admire your hope, Queen Poppy." Crystal said. "That's exactly what we need for this journey."

"You're welcome." Poppy said. "But none of that formality. You just call me 'Poppy.'"

"By your birthright and noble actions, you earned your title." Crystal said. "Ice troll tradition dictates we acknowledge titles, especially if they are earned."

Poppy stopped walking, forcing Crystal to do the same. The pink queen had a nice big grin. "Crystal, you don't have to be formal around me. You're Branch's sister, which makes you _my_ sister. And Frost is my brother. You two are family, and we never need to be formal around family."

Crystal rubbed the back of her head. "I suppose so. It's nice to have a sister. After growing up with boys all my life, it would've been nice to have another girl around."

"I always wanted a sister too!" Poppy cheered, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Crystal's neck in a tight hug. Crystal tensed up, but quickly melted into the hug and returned it. "No more formalities, okay?" Poppy asked.

Crystal laughed softly, setting Poppy down. "Very well, Little Sister."

When the girls returned with some frost-covered berries, Creek and Cooper already had a fire going. They managed to thaw out the berries using a frying pan Creek had packed. But they left the purple berries over the fire too long and, to their surprise, the berries popped and turned into something akin to popcorn.

"Not bad." Poppy mused, munching on some of the popcorn berries.

"I like it!" Cooper said, his lips and teeth purple. "We eat these raw and drink their juice all the time. Never thought to cook 'em."

"Frost would love these." Crystal noted. "We should bring some home with us."

"I don't have a tummy!" Snowflake cheered, shoving several more popcorn berries into her mouth.

The group froze when they heard a howl. Poppy scooted closer to Crystal and Cooper almost leaped into Creek's arms.

"There, there." Creek reassured. "By the sound of it, we're downwind from the Eninac. They can't smell us, so they won't find us."

"Still, to be safe….." Crystal drew her dagger and stood up. "I'm going to do a quick check. Wait here."

"But what if you run into one of them?" Poppy asked worriedly.

Crystal twirled her dagger skillfully. "I'm prepared." She jogged off into the trees.

"That's Queen Crystal for you." Creek said with a smile. "May seem rough at times, but she truly does care about the safety of the ones she loves. Just don't get her mad. She'll rip your head off. And her brother. Boy, is he scary when he loses his temper."

Poppy grinned. "You seem to know quite a bit about Frost and Crystal, don't you?"

"Well, sort of." Creek shrugged.

"Creek's their little brother!" Cooper said.

"Yay!" Snowflake cheered. "Another auntie!"

Creek chuckled. "Well, they often treat me like a little brother."

"Why's that?" Poppy asked.

"It's not the happiest story." Creek shrugged. "I don't want to upset you." Poppy scooted closer to him, smiling expectantly. Snowflake mimicked her. Cooper nudged Creek encouragingly, and Creek finally gave in. "When I was growing up, my parents and I spent a lot of time up in the mountains, working with the ice harvesters. My dad was a bit burly compared to other rainbow trolls, so he was perfect for the work. Frost and Crystal were fascinated by me, I guess. They had never seen rainbow trolls before meeting me. They would even play with me when we were kids."

* * *

" _Take this!" Crystal laughed, throwing a snowball towards Creek._

 _The seven-year-old laughed as he ducked. "Oh yeah? Well why don't_ you _take_ this!" _He threw his own snowball, and Crystal jumped aside. The snowball hit her twin in the face._

" _Hey!" Frost laughed, making a snowball so big he had to hold it with both hands. "I'll get you for that, Ice Wart!"_

 _But when Frost tried to run to Creek to bury him, he tripped over his own boots and fell into Crystal, who fell into Creek. Frost's giant snowball covered the three children, and they laughed._

" _Creek!"_

" _Frost! Crystal! Time to come home, my children!"_

" _Coming, Father!" Crystal called. "Bye, Creek!"_

" _See you around, Ice Wart!" Frost laughed. He and his twin hurried home._

 _Creek waved goodbye after them, a little sad to see them go._

* * *

"I didn't have any siblings of my own." Creek said. "And they sort of took me in. It was nice to have some company. I didn't have anybody else except Cooper there for me."

"What about your parents?" Poppy asked.

Creek looked down. "Uh…..I don't have any….."

Poppy's eyes widened a little. "Oh….."

"It's okay." Creek shrugged half-heartedly. "My mother died when I was a baby. I hardly remember her. Dad….well, he just left one day and didn't come back. Cooper, Crystal, and Frost were all I had until Cooper and I met our other friends."

"Oh yeah." Poppy grinned. "The love experts."

"Yep." Creek nodded proudly.

Poppy giggled. She came a little closer to Creek. "So tell me: do you think Frost and Crystal are good siblings? Will they try to hurt Branch at all?"

"Of course not." Creek said immediately. "I can tell by the way Crystal talks about Branch that she and Frost adore him. I think it's just been hard, being separated from him."

"It's a little hard on me too." Poppy admitted. "I wish he could've just told me about his powers. I would've kept it a secret. The fact that he didn't tell me makes me wonder if he even trusts me."

"I'm sure he does." Creek said, placing his hand over Poppy's. "Such a big secret like this, I'll bet he didn't want _anyone_ to know."

"But we love each other." Poppy protested. "I would never do anything to hurt him. Why would he keep something like this from me?"

Creek gave Poppy's hand a squeeze, and Poppy looked up. The two trolls were now so close that their noses almost touched. "Poppy, fear does crazy things to a person. But just because Branch didn't want to tell you something like this doesn't mean he doesn't love and trust you."

Poppy eyes went downcast. "What if I can't be trusted at all? And that's why he didn't tell me?"

" _I_ trust you, Poppy." Creek said. "Don't doubt yourself. You and Branch just need to work out a few things. And I'll help you."

Poppy locked her pink eyes onto Creek's indigo orbs. "Thank you, Creek. You're so kind and sweet…" She trailed off a little, their eyes still locked. Creek tried to look away, but he just couldn't. Cooper hid his eyes with his hat, grinning madly. Snowflake watched, mesmerized yet unaware of what was happening.

Poppy started to lean in, her eyes beginning to close. Creek mimicked her.

Suddenly, Poppy turned away, and Creek froze. They scooted away from each other, clearing their throats and looking anxious. The two trolls refused to look towards each other.

Crystal watched from the trees, a concerned frown on her lips and her eyebrows furrowed.


	9. Finding Branch

**A/N: Thank you for the well-wishes! My cold is getting better but I've come down with a mild case of laryngitis. But not being able to talk will not stop be from updating!**

 **GalaxyMegaGirl – Your review made me laugh so much! If that's how you were going to react, maybe I** _ **should've**_ **made Creek and Poppy kiss! LOL**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine – Finding Branch**

As the traveling group came closer and closer to Branch, the land became more dangerous. It took quite a bit of hiking to get towards the peak of North Mountain. They came to a small pass with many, many icicles hanging down from the rocky overhangs. The sharp projectiles proved a little rough to navigate.

"So you're really sure Branch can fix this?" Creek asked Poppy and Crystal.

"Absolutely." Poppy said confidently.

Creek still looked unsure. "Well, what's your plan if he can't? My ice business can't just rely on you talking to Ice Boy?"

"I am sure, when my brother understands everything, he will lift the curse." Crystal said.

Creek just managed to stop before he ran into an icicle. "And you're sure we don't need to be afraid of him?"

"Why would we?" Crystal asked.

"Yeah." Snowflake agreed. "He's my daddy, so he's gotta be nice." She face-planted into an icicle, but only peeled herself off the ice and giggled.

"Look, Branch was just scared when he caused this eternal winter." Poppy assured Creek. "He truly is a kind troll. You just have to get to know him."

"I'll get to know him." Creek nodded slowly. "After I make sure he won't freeze me into a block of ice."

"My brother will do no such thing." Crystal said. "Honestly, Creek, you are acting as though Branch is a monster."

"I obviously cannot judge him until I know him." Creek said as they continued walking. "But my first impression isn't exactly ideal."

"Just wait until you meet him." Poppy said with a wide smile.

Creek felt a twinge of jealousy, but pushed it aside. It would seem he had to constantly remind himself that Poppy was already married.

Soon, the group came to the end of the path with a sheer drop on one side and a steep cliff on the other side.

"What now?" Poppy asked.

"We will have to backtrack and go down another path or climb the rest of the way." Crystal said, looking to the cliff face.

"Too steep." Creek said after analyzing the rock wall. "I only have one rope. Poppy, you don't know how to climb mountains."

"Says who?" Poppy asked.

"Uh, Creek?" Cooper piped up.

Creek looked to Poppy and saw the pink troll trying to free-climb the rock wall. "What are you doing?"

Poppy hauled herself up a bit more. "I am going to see my husband."

"You're going to get hurt." Cooper warned.

"I wouldn't put my foot there." Creek added, watching Poppy's boot slip of a foothold.

"You're distracting me." Poppy complained.

"Or there." Crystal said as Poppy slipped again. "Poppy, I must insist that you come down from there."

"You know, Poppy, I've been thinking." Creek said. "How do you know Branch even wants to see you?"

"Not listening to you anymore." Poppy decided, clumsily pulling herself up the rock face.

"Poppy, please come down from there." Crystal requested, standing under Poppy in case she fell. "We will find a safer way."

"Or maybe we should take this as a sign to forget about it." Cooper suggested. "I mean, most people who disappear into the mountains want to be alone."

"Nobody wants to be alone!" Poppy insisted. "Except maybe you, Mr. Lives-in-the-mountains-with-just-a-llama-for-company."

"Hey, I have more company than just Cooper." Creek protested.

"You mean the 'love experts'?" Poppy scoffed.

"Yes, the love experts." Creek crossed his arms proudly.

"Oh yes." Crystal said sarcastically. "Let me guess: they're made of snow."

"No, but they certainly like the snow." Creek shrugged.

"How is it that Frost and I have known you for years, yet we never met these 'love experts'?" Crystal wondered, still not totally believing Creek.

"They like their privacy." Creek answered simply. "Poppy, would you come down from there?"

"No way! I'm almost there!" Poppy insisted. Well, that was a lie. She actually only made it a few feet up.

Creek shook his head with a smile. "Hold on."

"Hey guys!" Snowflake called from a small cave. "Guess what? I found a path leading right where we want to go!"

"Yes!" Poppy cheered. "Catch!" She suddenly pushed off the cliff, too quickly for Crystal to notice in time. Luckily, Creek was right there to catch the pink troll. "Thanks!" Poppy chirped, hopping down and following Snowflake.

Creek grinned as he watched Poppy leave. Crystal put a hand on his shoulder. "Do not get your hopes up, Creek. She is taken." She did not speak in a condescending or scolding tone, but rather a gentle one. Creek's smile disappeared, and he nodded. He, Cooper, and Crystal jogged after Poppy and Snowflake. The travelers came to the other side of the tunnel and found a staircase made of ice, leading up to one of the most elegant, regal castles they ever saw. It was all made completely of ice.

"By the great ice wall….." Crystal breathed.

"Whoa." Poppy gasped.

"Now _that's_ ice." Creek said, clearly impressed.

"Time to see my brother." Crystal sighed. She stared at the ice palace rather apprehensively.

Poppy slipped her hand into Crystal's and gave her fingers a squeeze. "It's okay. We can do this."

Crystal smiled a little and nodded. She and Poppy led the way up the staircase and to the front doors. Poppy approached the door and held up fist. She paused, flashing back to the many, many, _many_ times she stood before Branch's door and could never get him to open up.

Snowflake She looked to Crystal, Creek, and Cooper. "Why isn't she knocking?"

Crystal saw how tense and nervous Poppy seemed. "Poppy? Are you all right?"

Poppy shook off her fear and knocked boldly. To her surprise, the doors slowly swung inward. "Huh, it opened. That's a first." She turned to Creek and Cooper. "Oh, you two should probably wait out here."

"What?" the boys complained.

"Oh come on!" Creek pleaded. "It's a palace made of ice! Ice is our life!"

"Just wait here while I go talk to him first." Poppy requested. "I don't want him to be overwhelmed by so many people. Wait out here with Crystal."

"What?" It was Crystal's turn to gawk. "But Poppy—"

"Look, I'm the one who pushed Branch into this situation." Poppy explained soothingly. "But he seemed really spooked by you and your brother, and the last thing I want is to scare him again. Let me go in first and warm him up."

Crystal wanted so badly to just rush inside and find Branch. She couldn't deny Poppy's logic, though. "Very well."

"Bye everyone!" Snowflake waved, starting to go inside.

Poppy gently turned her around and pushed her out. "You too, Snowflake. Just give us a minute."

"Oh, okay." Snowflake shrugged. Poppy nodded in thanks and headed into the palace, the doors closing behind her. Creek, Cooper, and Crystal sat on the stairs. Snowflake plopped down between the queen and the boys. "One…..two…..three….."

"Four." Creek chimed in dully.

"Five." Cooper added.

"Six." Crystal sighed.

While they counted, Poppy took a look around the interior of the ice palace. She gasped in awe to see a fountain, more stairs, elegant columns, and even a chandelier, all of it made of ice. It felt marginally warmer in the palace compared to outside.

"Branch?" Poppy called, a little afraid to raise her voice. She nearly slipped on the icy floors.

"Poppy?"

Poppy looked up, and Branch emerged from the doorway at the top of the stairs. She almost didn't recognize him in his new, snow-inspired clothing. It warmed her heart to see him smiling warmly at her. The light coming from a window illuminated Branch's figure, seeming to make him glow. "Branch, you look amazing. And this palace is incredible."

"Thank you." Branch sighed contently. "Apparently, this is what happens when I let my powers free."

Poppy started up the stairs, noticing how Branch recoiled a bit. "I'm so sorry about what happened. If I had known—"

"No, it's okay." Branch interrupted hurriedly. "But you should probably go."

"Go? But I can't go yet. Not without you." Poppy grinned weakly, still at the bottom of the steps.

Branch moved back a little more. "You belong at the Troll Tree, Poppy. And I don't. I belong here." Sadness laced Branch's tone. "Alone. Where I can use my powers freely without hurting anyone."

Poppy gulped, chuckling nervously. "Uh, yeah. About that?"

"Fifty-nine…..sixty!" Snowflake laughed as she pushed the doors to the palace open. Branch tensed up knowing there were more trolls here. But his eyes widened when he saw a living snow-troll bound into his castle. "Hi! I'm Snowflake and I like warm hugs!" Snowflake greeted as she came to stand by Poppy.

"Snowflake?" Branch breathed.

Snowflake folded her twig fingers and rubbed the ground with her foot, her head ducked down shyly. "You built me. Remember that?"

Branch stared at the snow-troll, vaguely remembering how he did indeed build her. "And you're alive?"

"Uh…." Snowflake glanced at her stick arms. "Yes?"

Branch stared at his hands. Wow. He really _didn't_ know what he was capable of. Poppy knelt down beside Snowflake. "She's just like the one we made when we were kids. Remember?"

Branch grinned. "Yeah…she sure is…."

Poppy smiled too. "Branch, we were so close. And we were on the right track of being that close again. Come home with me. We can make everything all right."

Branch wanted to. The thought of returning sounded wonderful, and he loved that Poppy didn't seem to hate him. But then he thought of the time when they were children, and he struck Poppy with his powers. He caused that streak of blue in her hair. He hurt her with his powers. He could've killed her!

"No. I can't take back what I did." Branch hugged himself, rubbing his arms and turning away from the pink troll. "Just go, Poppy."

"Branch, wait!" Crystal suddenly threw the doors open, despite Creek's attempts to stop her.

Branch spun around and his eyes widened when he saw his sister. "No…no, what are you doing here?"

"Please listen to us." Crystal begged. "Frost and I only wanted to talk to you."

"You shouldn't be here!" Branch said, sounding desperate and fearful.

"I chose to come here with Poppy." Crystal said. "I promise you, Brother, that Frost and I only came because we missed you. We thought you were dead!"

Branch's breathing quickened. "Crystal, please. Please just go."

Crystal's eyes narrowed in concern and confusion. "Brother, I'm not going to hurt you."

"But I might hurt you!" Branch protested. "So just go! All of you!" He turned and started up the stairs to the second level of the castle. Creek and Cooper peered inside, hesitantly coming in.

"Branch, you do not need to protect us!" Crystal insisted.

"Yeah, we're not afraid!" Poppy added.

"You're not afraid because you don't understand." Branch scoffed, not looking towards them.

"Branch!" Poppy jogged up the stairs after him. "Please don't shut me out again. Look, I finally understand. I'm ready to help you. I'm not going to let you live like this anymore."

Branch glanced back once, but kept going up the stairs. Poppy and Crystal stayed right behind him.

"Branch, let me help you. I'll be right here. I promise." Poppy said.

Branch stopped at the balcony and turned to his wife and sister standing at the door. "Poppy. Go home. Go be the Queen of the Trolls and let everyone in like you want. I know you want to help, but you just can't do anything for me. Yeah, I'm alone. But I'm free out here. I can be myself and you'll be safe." Branch walked back into the castle, hoping Poppy and Crystal would just listen to him for once. Poppy followed Branch, an anxious expression on her face.

"Yeah, we're actually not." Poppy said.

"What do you mean, you're not?" Branch asked, staring at Poppy confusedly.

"I guess you don't know?" Poppy said.

"What don't I know, Poppy?" Branch demanded, wishing Poppy would get to the point.

"Brother?" Crystal piped up, looking nervous. "You may or may not have caused an eternal winter...everywhere."

Branch paled. "E-everywhere?"

Crystal noticed the snow beginning to fall even when Poppy, ever optimistic, didn't. "It's okay!" Poppy assured. "You can just unfreeze it!"

"No I can't!" Branch denied. "I don't know how!"

"Sure you can!" Poppy said. "I know you can!"

Branch didn't listen anymore, turning away from Poppy and Crystal. The snow swirled furiously around the three trolls like a snowstorm. Poppy wouldn't give up, desperately trying to reach Branch. Crystal could see Branch struggling, on the verge of a panic attack. The wind picked up, and the snowflakes Branch made bit at her cheeks and ears. "Branch!"

Poppy stood firm, covering her face to reduce how much snow hit her. Branch still wouldn't look at her, fear and shame waging war in his heart.

"Branch, we can do this!" Poppy assured.

" _I CAN'T!"_ Branch finally screamed. The snow he made swirled inwards to him, and he shot it out in all directions. Crystal managed to duck out of the way, but Poppy wasn't so lucky. Some of the blast hit her chest, and she gasped in pain as she collapsed to her knees.

"Poppy!" Crystal gasped, catching the pink troll before she could fully fall to the floor.

Branch spun around, and he let out a strangled gasp when he saw Poppy collapsed. _No…no, no, I did it again!_

Suddenly, ice began to spread rapidly from Branch's feet, shooting out and creating icicles that sprouted from the ground. Poppy huddled closer to Crystal in fear.

"I can't stop it." Branch hyperventilated now. "Help me…somebody help me!"

Creek and Cooper had started up the stairs, but now they sprinted when they heard the shout. Snowflake followed them.

Poppy flinched, waiting for an icicle to pierce her skin. Then, she felt Crystal move, and the ice troll stood protectively in front of Poppy. Crystal lifted her hands to her chest and pushed them out. A shockwave spread through the room, and the ice stopped in its tracks. Crystal exhaled slowly, moving her arms in front of her. The ice reacted to her will, retreating back to Branch as he forced himself to calm down a few notches.

Poppy stared at the ice troll queen in shock. "Crystal…."

"Poppy!" Creek shouted.

"Crystal!" Cooper galloped behind Creek as they and Snowflake entered the room.

Creek slid to Poppy's side, helping her stand. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Poppy nodded. She stared at Branch. "I'm _fine._ "

"Wh-who are they?" Branch shook his head. "No, it doesn't matter. You need to go."

"No!" Poppy refused. "I know we can figure this out, Branch!" Creek and Cooper stared nervously at the cracks appearing in the walls around them.

"How?!" Branch demanded desperately. "What power do you or even Crystal and Frost have to stop this winter? To stop me?"

"I'm not afraid, Branch! I've never been afraid!" Poppy insisted. "I know you would never try to hurt me."

"I don't have to try!" Branch snapped. "Apparently I can do it without trying! I already caused my siblings enough pain and I nearly killed you when we were kids! That's how you got that streak in your hair! _It's all my fault!"_

Branch's voice echoed in the castle, and the cracking ice became worse. Creek put himself between Poppy and Branch. "Poppy, we need to go."

"No." Poppy said stubbornly. "I won't leave without you, Branch."

"Neither will I." Crystal said firmly.

"Yes you will." Branch threw down a blast of magic, and snow swirled and built up in front of him. Crystal, Poppy, Snowflake, Creek, and Cooper had to tilt their heads up as a monstrous snow creature manifested in front of them. The creature scooped up the trolls and lumbered downstairs and to the door.

"Unhand us!" Crystal ordered.

"Put us down!" Poppy snapped.

"Go away." The snow beast growled, tossing the trolls down the stairs. It was a bumpy, slippery ride that dumped them right into the snow again. The snow beast detached Snowflake's head from her body.

"Head's up!" Snowflake shouted as the snow beast threw her head. Poppy and Crystal ducked, and Snowflake's head stuck to some snow on a rock. "Watch out for my butt!" The quartet of trolls fell back again as the snow beast chucked the rest of Snowflake's body at them.

Poppy gasped indignantly and scooped up some snow. "It is not nice to throw people!"

"Hey, whoa! Easy there, love, easy!" Creek held Poppy back even when she struggled and complained. "Just leave the snow monster be!"

Poppy growled in frustration. "He's right, Poppy, you mustn't throw a snowball like that at the snow monster." Crystal agreed. She frowned. "You should throw one like this!" She swirled her hands around and lifted her arms to the sky, creating a snowball the size of the snow beast's head.

"Oh come on." Creek groaned as Crystal threw the heap of snow. It hit Branch's snow beast in the face, and the creature dusted the snow away before roaring at them. "See? Now you've made him mad!"

"I think we should run." Snowflake suggested, plopping her head on her shoulders.

"Agreed." Everyone else nodded. They turned and sprinted away as the snow beast stomped after them.

They came to the top of a hill with an icy slide going down, and Crystal pushed everyone down when they tried to stop. The speeding trip caused Snowflake to break apart and roll away in different directions. Cooper flew off a ramp and disappeared into the trees. Creek, Crystal, and Poppy tumbled into the snow at the bottom of the slope. The snow beast followed them, brandishing his ice claws threateningly. Crystal grabbed Poppy's and Creek's hands and pulled them along as they ran, ducking to avoid the beast's swings. Luckily, the beast hit the bushes surrounding them instead of the trolls.

Poppy saw several flowers bent over from all the snow, and she broke away from Crystal and Creek. "What are you doing?" Creek demanded.

Poppy didn't answer, going under one of the flowers and yanking on a leaf. When she let go, the flower snapped up and dropped all the snow covering it, the frozen top of the flower hitting the snow beast in the head. Poppy scrambled to her feet and rejoined Creek and Crystal, who cheered for her.

"Brilliant, Poppy!" Crystal complimented.

"I got him!" Poppy cheered.

"Stop!" Creek shouted, forcing the girls to screech to a halt. Just in time too: they came to the edge of a sheer drop. They couldn't even see the ground, only fog.

"Now what?" Poppy gulped.

"I got this." Creek pulled out the rope from his bag, tying one end around Crystal's waist and some more of the rope around Poppy's hips. He secured the rope around his own stomach just as the snow beast's roar rang out, signaling that he was coming. Creek pulled out the pickaxe and drew a crescent-shaped trench in the snow.

"What's that for?" Poppy asked.

"I'm digging a snow anchor to hold us." Creek explained hurriedly.

"And what if we fall?" Poppy asked.

"The ground below is covered in fresh powder." Crystal assured. "It will be like landing on a pillow."

"Hopefully." Creek muttered. The three of them looked up when they heard the bushes shaking. The snow beast was getting closer. Creek tossed the rest of the rope down the side of the cliff. "Okay, on three. One…two…"

"You tell me when because I'm ready!" Poppy said, pumping herself up. "I was born ready!"

"Calm down." Creek said. He jumped when a rock-hard frozen flower landed in front of him, spraying snow into his face.

"EEK!" Poppy screamed, jumping off the cliff. The jerk of her weight pulling on the rope yanked Creek down too, and their combined weight dragged Crystal off. Luckily, the snow anchor held firm, and Creek began lowering them down.

Meanwhile, Snowflake emerged from the shrubbery with her body parts all jumbled up. "Man, am I out of shape." She sighed, fixing herself so she looked like a normal snow-troll. "Hey Poppy! Crystal! Cooper! Where'd you go? We totally lost Slushy back there." She saw a large shadow on the ground and tilted her head up to see the snow beast she referred to. "Hey! We were just talking about you." She laughed nervously. Unfortunately, Slushy noticed the snow anchor and marched towards it. "No!" Snowflake grabbed Slushy's ankle, trying to stop him. "Huh. This isn't making much of a difference, is it?"

In response, Slushy threw his foot forward and tossed Snowflake over the edge of the cliff.

"Snowflake!" Poppy gasped.

"Hang in there, guys!" Snowflake called as she disappeared into the fog.

"Go faster!" Crystal urged.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Creek said frustratingly. Then, the rope jerked, and they started going up.

"Oh frostbite." Crystal paled when they realized Slushy pulled them up. Creek hit his head on the rock, almost knocking him out, and Slushy pulled the trolls up to his eye-level.

"DON'T COME BACK!" Slushy roared, spraying them with snow.

"We won't." Poppy assured. Crystal drew her dagger and sliced the rope, sending the three of them falling. They screamed as they fell, bracing themselves for whatever landing would await them.

Poppy yelped when she hit the ground. But apart from snow going up her skirt and making her cold, she was unharmed. She saw that she landed perfectly in the powder, which now had her buried from the waist-down. "Hey! You were right! Just like a pillow."

Crystal sat up from under the snow, sputtering and covered in the powder. "Told you!" She said with a smile.

Snowflake sat nearby, panting as she prodded a set of boot-covered feet in front of her. "I can't feel my legs! I can't feel my legs!"

Creek emerged from beneath the powder, coughing. "Those are _my_ legs." He saw Snowflake's lower half passing by and grabbed it, fitting the rest of Snowflake's body onto the lower half.

"Oh, that feels better." Snowflake sighed.

"Hey guys!" Cooper called as he galloped up to them. "You all right?"

"We will live. That is the good news." Crystal sighed, dusting the powder off her clothes.

Creek gently pulled Poppy from the powder. "Are you all right?"

Poppy nodded. "Thank you."

"Uh, excuse me?" Cooper asked. "Now that we've established that we're okay, what do we do?"

"Yeah, now what?" Creek agreed, looking to Poppy.

"Now what?" Poppy repeated. Her face dropped to an expression of horror. "Oh, no! What do I do now? I can't go back to my kingdom with the weather like this! And Crystal never got to talk to Branch! And then there's your ice business, Creek!"

"Hey, easy." Creek soothed. "Do not worry about my ice business."

"And do not worry about my talk with my baby brother." Crystal assured. She noticed something. "Your hair!"

"What?" Poppy shrugged. "I just fell off a cliff, you should see your and Creek's hair."

Creek's eyes widened. "Poppy, your hair is turning white!"

Poppy pulled down her ponytail and she gasped when she saw the previously blue streak turn as white as the snow around them. In fact, several more strands of her pink hair turned that color. "What?"

"It's because he struck you, isn't it?" Creek guessed.

"Oh dear." Crystal murmured.

"Does it look bad?" Poppy asked.

Crystal and Creek exchanged a look. "No."

"You hesitated." Snowflake said.

"No we didn't!" Creek denied.

"Creek, you know what this calls for?" Cooper suggested.

"You're right." Creek nodded. "Poppy, you need help. Come on."

"Where are we going?" Snowflake asked as they began walking.

"To see my friends." Creek said.

"The love experts?" Poppy clarified.

"Yep." Creek nodded.

"Creek, you know what has happened, don't you?" Crystal said.

"Yes, and I know my friends can fix it." Creek assured.

"How?" Poppy asked.

Creek and Cooper grinned at each other. "Because we've seen them do it before." Cooper answered. The girls didn't know what to think, deciding to follow Creek regardless.

"I like to think of myself as a love expert." Snowflake piped up randomly.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Turtle Babe, if you're still reading this, I hope I'm capturing Frost and Crystal well!**


	10. Fixer Upper

**A/N: You guys are so sweet! So many well-wishes and advice for my sickness. Rest assured, I am doing what I can to accelerate my healing process, mainly cool water and using my phone to communicate since I can't speak above a whisper.**

 **GalaxyMegaGirl – Please don't damage your computer. LOL I will say that if Creek hadn't turned out to be evil in the movie, I could've seen him and Poppy together if she and Branch weren't so adorable together. I see a lot of people shipping Branch and Creek too.**

 **The painted lady of the leaf – I can't say what will happen because of spoilers, but I hope you like how this story turns out!**

 **Neomoon585 – You'll be seeing Creek's "love expert" friends in this chapter! Thank you for your concern about my sickness. I'm hoping my voice will come back soon. I'm dying to be able to talk again.**

 **AnimalGirl1507 – Thank you! Enjoy this one!**

 **Disclaimer reminder: I don't own Crystal and Frost, nor really their backstory with Branch. I modified the story slightly. Might be some spoilers here for** _ **Find Me – I'm Lost**_ **, but I still recommend reading it!**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten – Fixer Upper**

Branch paced back and forth across the room, panting heavily. Everything that happened when Poppy arrived really rattled him, and he could feel his powers spiraling uncontrolled.

"Get it together. Control it!" Branch growled at himself. "Come on, just control it already!"

Whether or not he wanted it, his ice reacted. Icicles grew from the walls, the sharp ends jabbed towards him. He suddenly felt very small, and he fell to his knees.

"I can't do this…"

* * *

On the way to see Creek and Cooper's friends, Poppy made it clear to Crystal that she wanted to know the full truth of her and Frost's relationship with Branch. Poppy knew there was more that Crystal hid from her, least of all the fact that she too had ice magic like Branch.

Crystal sighed sorrowfully. "Poppy, please understand. The story is long and complicated. There is a reason I did not tell you the full truth. I did not know if you could keep my secret. I did not know how you would react."

"My queen, she has a right to know." Creek reasoned. "Especially since she's your sister-in-law."

"So you knew Crystal had ice magic like Branch?" Poppy guessed.

"It's a story that Queen Crystal must tell you." Creek said. He nodded to the ice troll queen encouragingly. "After all, I only know part of the story. The rest is what Queen Crystal and King Frost were told by their mother."

Crystal stared at Creek, and then sighed again. "Well, I suppose I must start with this: Branch, Frost, and I are not the only trolls with ice magic. In fact, all ice trolls are born with these powers. It is one of the reasons we can survive in Aurora's Mountains. The royal family's powers are the strongest, which is why it concerned me to know Branch suppressed his ice for so long. I can understand why your father would want to keep my baby brother's powers hidden. It is a longstanding law in our land that our abilities with ice are to be kept a secret. Only the leaders of the Compass Kingdoms are permitted to know, an agreement made years ago when kingdoms united in peace.

"Years ago, when Frost and I were only children, Mother had the idea to create a half-breed troll: one who would have both the powers of an ice troll and a rainbow troll. After all, the rainbow troll's abilities with their hair were admired by many breeds of troll. Mother went behind Father's back, and pursued a relationship with a widowed rainbow troll who worked with the ice harvesters: Creek's father, Caspian."

Poppy gasped softly, staring at Creek. He wouldn't look towards her, his eyes glued to the ground while Cooper nuzzled him comfortingly. Poppy turned back to Crystal as the ice troll queen continued her story.

"Mother and Caspian succeeded in conceiving a child. But then came the question of how they would reveal the baby to everyone. Would Father accept the half-breed child? Would the baby even survive? What role would the child play in the ice troll kingdom? I am not sure my mother could answer these questions. My father found out about the baby, but believed it was his own. Mother claimed this was true. She and Caspian had an argument about this. Caspian feared for the fate of the baby, and threatened to expose my mother and take the baby away. During their argument…Mother accidentally shot Caspian in the heart with her powers. Before we could get him help, he turned to solid ice and died.

"Everything I told you before was true, except for Branch's father not being the same as mine and Frost's. Branch's size at birth was due to his rainbow troll half, not because he was premature. It was, however, a very difficult birth, and that was how Mother died. Father was so conflicted. He loved Branch with all his heart, but his grief over Mother's death hit him hard. He hardly acknowledged Branch. Frost and I believe Branch reminded Father too much of our mother. Branch eventually found out about what happened to Mother, and he blamed himself for her death." Crystal stared at the ground, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Frost and I did not lose Branch while on a walk. He ran away."

* * *

 _Crystal and Frost panted softly as they scanned the snowy landscape around them._

" _Branch!" Frost shouted._

" _Branch!" Crystal echoed, her hands cupped around her mouth. "Baby Brother! Where are you?"_

 _Frost sighed anxiously, the young teenager scanning the area around them. Then, he spotted a blue figure running down the mountain. "There!"_

 _Crystal followed her twin's point, and the two teenage royals sprinted after the troll child. The blue troll looked back to his siblings but kept running. It was Frost who stopped him: with a flick of his wrist, a half-circle of icicles appeared in front of Branch and forced him to skid to a halt. The young boy panted heavily as he spun around to face his approaching older siblings. Crystal and Frost slowed down to stand far enough away to give Branch his space, but close enough that they could catch him if he ran._

" _Baby Brother, just stay calm." Crystal said soothingly._

" _We were worried sick about you!" Frost scolded. "Why did you run off like that?"_

" _Please just stay away from me!" Branch begged. "I don't want to hurt you!"_

" _You won't hurt us." Frost assured. "How could you ever think that?"_

" _Just come back home, Branch." Crystal pleaded._

" _I can't." Tears streamed down Branch's cheeks. He flinched when Frost came closer. "No, don't! Stay away! I might kill you!"_

" _Calm down, Brother." Frost said gently yet urgently. "You don't have to be afraid."_

 _The young child stepped away from his siblings until his back hit the icicles Frost made. "I don't want to kill you. I killed Mommy. I don't want to hurt you too!"_

" _Branch, Mother's death was not your fault." Crystal said, slowly stepping closer to him. "Nobody blames you for that."_

" _Then why does Daddy hate me?" Branch sniffled._

" _He does not hate you." Frost stumbled over his words a little. "He just…it's hard to explain."_

" _Please just come with us." Crystal reached for Branch._

" _NO!" Branch suddenly shot a blast of ice magic towards his siblings, just high enough for them to easily duck down and dodge it. The three of them looked up as the blast of ice sailed through the air and hit the snow higher up the mountain. Very soon after the hit, there was a rumbling sound like thunder as an avalanche headed right towards them._

" _RUN!" Frost urged, spurring his siblings into a desperate race away from the avalanche._

" _The trees!" Crystal urged as they approached a small forested area. "Get in the trees!"_

 _The three of them scurried up the bark of the closest tree, frantically tried to reach the top so they would be safe. They just managed to reach some of the higher branches when the avalanche hit. Unfortunately, the blow was so great that it knocked little Branch right off the tree. His siblings screamed for him, unable to do anything except watch as their baby brother landed on a boulder that carried him away._

 _As quickly as it arrived, the avalanche stopped, and Frost and Crystal jumped down to begin searching for Branch. But even though they found the boulder he rode on, the little blue child was nowhere to be seen. Frost and Crystal began digging all around the area, calling for their baby brother and praying they would find him at least alive if not unharmed._

 _But they searched for the rest of the day, and they never found him._

 _Crystal collapsed to her knees, sobs ripping free from her throat and tears cascading from her eyes. Frost seethed and growled, his fists clenched. He let out his frustration and grief in an agonizing yell that echoed across the mountain._

* * *

"When Frost and I came to your kingdom, we truly only wanted to reconnect with Branch." Crystal said. "We loved him so much, and it killed us to believe he was dead. Knowing that Branch kept his powers bottled up all this time made us anxious. We feared he would lose control just like this." She gestured to the wintery landscape around them. "Frost and I can help him. If he would just let us."

Poppy touched her chest, where Branch struck her with his own ice. "So…..will I turn to solid ice too?"

"No." Crystal assured quickly. "I…..I'm sure Branch missed your heart."

"And my friends will fix this." Creek added. "We won't let anything happen to you."

Poppy nodded slowly. "Crystal, you and Frost should stick around once this all blows over. I want you two to help Branch reign in his powers so none of this happens again. He shouldn't have been so afraid to use those gifts."

Crystal smiled a little. "I agree. Thank you."

"I don't suppose you and/or Frost could stop this winter?" Cooper asked. "If you got that snowy magic too."

"I'm afraid Frost and I cannot match Branch's power." Crystal sighed. "Not on this scale. He kept it so pent up for so long. Stopping this winter is up to Branch. Frost and I can help him learn control after that."

Poppy nodded, and the trip was silent again. Night fell over the land, and the Northern Lights stretched across the sky and illuminated the traveler's surroundings. Snowflake had grown tired of walking and rode on Cooper's back.

Cooper sighed blissfully at the sight of the Northern Lights. "One of the best parts about living up here."

Creek chuckled in agreement. He glanced to Poppy when she shivered, rubbing her arms. "You cold?"

"A little." Poppy nodded.

Creek moved to wrap his arms around her, but recoiled. "Well, uh, we should be getting there soon."

"I am looking forward to meeting these friends of yours." Crystal said.

"Yeah, you'll like them." Creek assured. "Although, I suppose I should've mentioned this sooner….I mean, I call them my 'friends,' they're more like my family. Cooper and I were all alone and they took us in without any questions. My grandmother—well, she's not my real grandmother, but that's what we all call her—she raised me to be the troll I am today. She gave me and Cooper a real home. Now, I should warn you about my siblings. They can be….inappropriate, at times. And loud, very loud. They're also rather stubborn and a bit overbearing now and then and they like to embarrass me because I'm one of the eldest and they're just so—"

"Creek." Poppy interrupted with a smile. "I'm sure we'll love them."

Creek exhaled softly and nodded. "Well, we're here!"

"All right!" Cooper cheered, setting Snowflake down and galloping into the grassy area before them. "Home sweet home!"

"Poppy, Snowflake, Queen Crystal, meet our family!" Creek introduced.

The girls looked, but only saw a rocky, grassy area with a few short trees and the mountains surrounding them. There really didn't seem to be much there.

"Uh…..are they…..rocks?" Poppy asked.

Creek and Cooper looked around. "Oh, hang on." Creek turned and hollered out to the open air. "Hey everyone! Come on out! We're home!"

Crystal raised an eyebrow. "Shy, aren't they?" Creek continued to call for his "family," but nobody came out.

"He's crazy." Snowflake whispered to Poppy and Crystal.

"Uh, Creek?" Poppy piped up. "I don't suppose they're actually going to come out anytime soon?"

"Just hang on." Cooper reached into his hat and pulled out a harmonica, tossing it up and catching it in his teeth. He played a smooth yet upbeat melody, and lights illuminated in the trees. Someone unseen played a set of drums. Creek started the song, his smile a mile wide. A female voice soon joined him, and Poppy, Crystal, and Snowflake saw a red-skinned rainbow troll with curly orange hair in a nearby tree. Creek joined the red-skinned troll as she approached him and Cooper, who put his harmonica away to sing.

Suddenly, the lights in the trees grew brighter, and more trolls popped out of their hiding spots: a silver glitter troll, a troll who looked like a tuft of hair on a pair of legs, a tiny yellow troll with tall blue hair, a pair of conjoined troll twins with their hair connected at the top, and a larger blue troll with pale blue hair and carrying a glowworm.

The red-skinned troll clutched a fiery orange crystal around her neck, raising her other hand to the sky. A flurry of fireflies appeared, dancing around the air. The tuft of hair had a blue crystal peering out of his lime green locks, and he bounced around on a couple drums. The large blue troll wore a spring green-colored crystal, which glowed brightly as he swirled his hands and made flowers pop up from the ground. He lifted the flowers from the grass, weaving them into crowns for Creek and Cooper. The twins each wore violet-colored crystals. They danced with the little yellow troll, who had a pink crystal. The glitter troll had a white crystal, and he magically created a ball of glitter and threw it up, the ball exploding like a firework.

Poppy, Crystal, and Snowflake stared in awe. These trolls were performing feats of magic without any effort. The magical, colorful trolls seemed to glow. Their eyes sparkled with mirth as they danced and sang with Creek and Cooper.

The song ended with Creek, Cooper, and their siblings coming together for a group hug. Even Snowflake managed to get into the hug. The fireflies flew away, and the lights in the trees died to let the Northern Lights glow softly over the family reunion.

"Creek and Cooper are home!" the little yellow troll cheered, her voice rather deep.

"Creek and Cooper are home!" Snowflake cheered. "Wait, Creek?"

"Uh-huh!" the large blue troll nodded, giving Creek an exceptionally tight squeeze. "It's so good to see you, Big Brother!"

"It's great to see you all too!" Creek laughed as they broke apart. "You're all here, aren't you? Biggie? DJ Suki? Satin? Chenille? Guy Diamond? Fuzzbert? Smidge?"

"Where's Grandma Rosiepuff?" Cooper asked.

"She's out gathering gems." Satin said. "But look! Chenille and I earned our crystal colors!"

"I made a new recipe for cupcakes!" Guy Diamond said proudly.

Fuzzbert made a garbled sound. Based on everyone's laughter, they knew very well what he said.

Poppy gasped. "Magi Troll. They're Magi Troll!"

"Incredible." Crystal breathed.

Creek and Cooper's siblings turned, finally noticing the newcomers. They blinked.

"They brought girls!" Suki cheered.

"Girls!" the rest of the Magi Trolls cheered. They hurriedly pulled Poppy and Crystal to them, much to the queens' surprise.

"What is going on?" Crystal asked.

"It's easier to just go along with whatever they do." Creek shrugged.

"So which girl goes to which guy?" Guy Diamond asked.

"Oh I bet the ice troll goes to Cooper!" Biggie said. "They look so cute together!"

"What?" Cooper laughed nervously. "No way! No offense, Crystal."

"Oh no, none taken." Crystal assured.

"Everyone, listen up!" Creek called. "This is Queen Crystal of the ice trolls and she is definitely not my or Cooper's girlfriend. And this is Poppy—"

"And she's your girlfriend, right?" Chenille guessed.

"Ooh, she's so cute!" Satin squealed.

Creek groaned in embarrassment while Poppy stammered and blushed. "Oh, no. I mean….he's not…we're not…"

"Let me take a look!" Suki stepped forward. "I am the eldest girl, after all." She poked and prodded and squished Poppy's and Crystal's faces as she looked them over. "Hmm. Bright eyes. Little nose. Good, strong teeth. Yes! I think they'll do nicely for our big brothers!"

"Suki!" Creek complained. Crystal blushed, she and Cooper avoiding eye contact.

Poppy rubbed the back of her head with an embarrassed smile. "I mean, he's nice and all, but—"

"What's the issue, dear?" Satin asked.

"Why are you two holding back from such trolls?" Chenille added, smirking at Crystal. "It's their mild lack of grace, isn't it?"

"Or is it the fact that they're not much of athletes?" Satin asked.

"Hey!" Creek and Cooper complained.

"Maybe they don't wash very well, but they're so sensitive and sweet." Suki said. Satin and Chenille pinched Creek between their hips, pulling his lips into a toothy smile. Creek chuckled nervously at Poppy.

"That's nice, but…." Poppy didn't get to finish as Creek's siblings began twirling him and Cooper around and shoving them playfully.

"Is it Creek's thing with the llama?" Biggie asked. "I don't want to cause drama, but that is a bit outside nature's laws."

"It is not!" Cooper whined.

"They may be a couple fixer-uppers, but that's an easy fix!" Smidge assured.

"Can we please just stop talking about this?" Creek pleaded. "We have a serious problem here."

"Yes, it's very important." Crystal agreed.

"I'll say." Suki nodded, looking to Poppy. "So, tell me, dear, is it their poor social skills?"

"Or the fact that Cooper only goes potty in the woods?" Smidge asked.

"I did not need to know that." Crystal said.

"What?" Smidge shrugged.

"Okay, seriously!" Creek complained as Smidge lifted him with her hair and tossed him up, leaving Biggie to catch him. The twins did the same with Cooper. The boys suddenly pulled Creek and Cooper to one side while the girls pulled Poppy and Crystal the other way.

"Stop it stop it stop it!" Creek demanded. "Enough! She is married to someone else, okay? An arranged marriage!"

"And Crystal is _so_ not available!" Cooper affirmed.

Fuzzbert, Guy Diamond, Biggie, and even Biggie's glowworm Mr. Dinkles stared at Creek and Cooper, blinking a few times. They turned and huddled up. After deliberating, they turned back to Creek.

"So just get the husbands out of the way and the whole thing will be great!" the boys said.

Creek groaned, covering his face with his hands. Cooper banged his head against a nearby rock.

Poppy and Crystal had a bit of a better time, the female Magi Troll being gentler. Of course, Crystal wished she could politely interrupt them.

Suki approached the queens, taking each of their hands in hers. "Now, you'll never be able to change them, but love is a powerful and strange force. People don't always make the best decisions when they're mad or scared or stressed. But with a little love, you can bring out the best in anyone."

That made Poppy and Crystal think for a moment, and it clicked in their heads. Branch was the same way, wasn't he? He caused this eternal winter because he was scared.

Creek and Cooper turned around to apologize to Poppy and Crystal, but their eyes widened when they saw the pretty cloaks and crowns the queens wore, courtesy of Satin and Chenille. "Whoa….." Creek breathed. He hardly noticed his brothers hooking another cape around his shoulders and plop a crown of twigs on his head. Cooper got the same treatment. Poppy giggled at the sight, and Creek just shrugged sheepishly. The Magi Trolls pushed Creek, Cooper, Crystal, and Poppy closer together. Snowflake danced about happily, blissfully unaware of what was really going on.

Guy Diamond stood before Poppy and Creek. "Do you, Poppy and Crystal, take Creek and Cooper to be your troll-fully wedded—"

"Wait, what?" Poppy and Crystal asked simultaneously.

"You're getting married." Guy Diamond shrugged.

The Northern Lights flashed, and Poppy gasped as she felt a stab of pain in her heart. Her knees buckled, and Creek caught her before she fell.

"Poppy!" Crystal gasped kneeling on the other side of Poppy. Crystal quickly shed her cloak and draped it over Poppy's shoulders, pulling their flowered crowns off.

"What is going on out here?"

The Magi Trolls looked up and parted as Rosiepuff appeared. "Grandma!" Cooper called, shaking off his cloak and crown and hurriedly leading the elder troll to Poppy. "We need some help."

Rosiepuff knelt down and tilted Poppy's head up. She pressed her palm to the crown of Poppy's head, and Rosiepuff suddenly developed a look of dread. She held Poppy's hands in a gentle grip. "Poppy, listen to me. Your life is in danger. Branch has put ice in your heart."

"But he didn't mean it!" Poppy protested. "He would never—"

"On accident or on purpose, it does not matter." Rosiepuff shushed her. "If the ice is not removed, you will freeze to solid ice. Forever."

"But you can remove it, can't you?" Creek pleaded.

"I can't." Rosiepuff said.

"You have to!" Creek begged. "I've seen you do it!"

"With her head, not her heart!" Rosiepuff said. "A heart is not so easily changed."

"What about Crystal?" Cooper suggested. "She has ice magic. She can take it out!"

"No I can't!" Crystal denied. "I can slow down the freezing, but if I try and take the ice out of Poppy's heart, I'll kill her by mistake."

Creek held Poppy close as the pink troll shivered. "Grandma, please. There has to be something we can do."

"Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart." Rosiepuff said.

"An act of true love?" Poppy whispered.

"A true love's kiss, perhaps?" Suki suggested, winking at Creek.

"No! Not me!" Creek snapped. "We have to take you back to Branch."

"Yes, he can help her." Crystal agreed.

"No." Poppy coughed as another cold spell came over her. More of her hair turned white.

"No?" Crystal repeated. "Poppy, you will die unless we get you that act of true love."

Poppy shuddered. "But…..but Branch won't help us….when he sees what he did to me…he'll blame himself so much that he'll push us away. He'll push us away to protect us from him."

Creek sighed in frustration. "She's right, Queen Crystal. King Branch needs our help but we can't help him with Poppy like this. We need another act of true love. Anything."

Crystal thought for a moment. "This act of true love. It doesn't have to be romantic, does it? Could it be an act of familial love?"

"As long as the love is true." Rosiepuff nodded.

Crystal bobbed her head in thought. "Creek, Cooper, let's go. We're taking Poppy back to the Troll Tree. She needs to be with her father."

"Right." Creek pulled off his cape and crown, scooping up Poppy and holding her bridal style. "Cooper, let's go!"

"You got it, buddy." Cooper knelt down and let Creek climb up on his back.

"Snowflake, come on!" Crystal ordered.

"Coming!" Snowflake called, jumping up to ride on Crystal's shoulders. Cooper and Crystal dashed off down the mountain, the Magi Trolls waving goodbye after them.

* * *

 **A/N: I should say this: I don't really have any idea how troll babies are born, and I don't want to hazard a guess for this story. I'm only going to say that I think when a troll is pregnant, the mother's and the baby's lives are so closely connected that it is possible for the mother's life to be sucked away to give life to the child. Hence death during childbirth.**


	11. Return to the Troll Tree

**A/N: Hmm, not many reviews for the last chapter! I really don't care much. I don't write stories just for the reviews. But I love seeing any funny reactions you guys have at the chapters! Although, fair warning, this chapter is quite angst-y with few funny moments.**

 **GalaxyMegaGirl – I wanted there to be some kind of different magic, hence the Magi Trolls. I'm glad you enjoy them!**

 **Jpbake – Yeah, imagining Creek and Cooper's embarrassment made me laugh. I have a plan for the ending. I don't know if it's a twist; but, then again, I wrote it, so I saw it coming. :)**

 **Enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven – Return to the Troll Tree**

Cooper ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Crystal had created a sort of snowboard out of ice and rode it alongside Cooper. Snowflake rode on Crystal's shoulders, whooping and laughing. Poppy shivered, even when buried under her coat and her and Crystal's capes they got from the Magi Trolls. Creek held her tighter, one arm wrapped around her and his free hand gripping Cooper's fur so he didn't fall off.

"Just hang in there." Creek encouraged Poppy. The pink troll smiled a little. "Come on, Cooper! Faster!"

"Hang on tight, buddy!" Cooper picked up speed. Several agonizing long minutes later, they saw the Troll Tree in the distance.

"Snowflake, wait here in the forest!" Creek ordered.

"But I wanna help!" Snowflake protested.

"We have no idea how the other trolls will react to seeing you." Crystal explained gently. "So wait here. We will come for you."

Snowflake pouted. "Okay….." She hopped off Crystal's shoulders and landed softly in the snow, waving after them.

When they reached the borders of the Troll Tree kingdom, Crystal hopped off her board and let it fly off to one side, where it shattered against a tree trunk. It was a longstanding rule within the ice troll kingdom that no non-ice troll could know of their abilities except for extenuating circumstances. Although that rule may be moot now, she didn't want to risk anyone finding out while they were in the middle of an eternal winter, in case it made things worse. Crystal ran alongside Cooper as they hurried to the Troll Tree.

Aspen saw them coming, and he shouted out to the other guards. "Queen Crystal and Queen Poppy have returned!"

Creek still carried Poppy as he slid off Cooper's back. The elevator came down, and a few of the servants came down to receive the returning trolls.

"Poppy!" one of them gasped. "Is she all right?"

"We need to get her inside and someplace warm." Crystal urged. Creek set Poppy down on her feet, and Crystal helped Poppy walked forward and into the elevator.

"Take care of her!" Creek called. He didn't move from his spot. Cooper stayed with him, the two of them unsure if they would be welcome.

Crystal looked back to them. "What are you waiting for? Get in here!"

"What?" Cooper and Creek asked simultaneously.

"Get in the ice bucking lift, you twits!" Crystal snapped.

"Yes Queen Crystal!" the boys yelped, hurrying into the elevator. It took them all up, and the servants led them into a drawing room with a large fireplace. Creek and Cooper began making a fire while Crystal helped Poppy get comfortable on a couch. The servants left them to their work.

Crystal put her fingers to Poppy's forehead. "You're so cold." She moaned worriedly. "Creek, Cooper, watch over her. I'm going to find my brother."

"Can do!" Cooper nodded. Crystal hurried out the door. Creek finished the fire and pulled up a chair to sit closer to Poppy. He tucked the capes tighter around her. Poppy suddenly slipped a hand out and grasped Creek's fingers.

"A-are you going to be okay?" Poppy asked.

Creek smiled softly. "Don't worry about me." He noticed more strands of Poppy's hair turning white, and he gave her hand a squeeze. "Everything is going to be all right."

Crystal ran about the royal pod and didn't find Frost until she arrived at the library, where Frost stood by the fire and stared absent-mindedly at the flames. He looked up when he heard the door open, and overwhelming relief washed over him.

"Sister." He sighed, opening his arms as Crystal jumped towards him. The twin royals held each other in a tight embrace. "I was worried for you."

"I am fine, Brother." Crystal sighed, stepping back from Frost.

"Where is Branch?" Frost asked. "Did you find our baby brother?"

Crystal looked down. "Yes. But I fear I made things worse. And we have no time to think of that now. Poppy needs our help! Branch accidentally struck her in the heart with his powers."

Frost paled. "But she'll—"

"Turn to ice, I know!" Crystal said impatiently. "That's why we brought her here. She needs an act of true love to save her, so we must bring her father to her!"

Frost shut his eyes, in great pain. "We can't."

"Why not?" Crystal demanded, a little scared to see her brother so distraught. "What has happened?"

"King Peppy is dead." Frost said, causing his sister to gasp.

* * *

 _Frost had been gone for ten minutes. Ten measly minutes. Apparently that's all the time it took for disaster to strike in the royal pod. When he returned from checking in on the village, one of the servants frantically dragged him to King Peppy's room. Frost's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the bloodied bandages around Peppy's chest. He barely breathed._

" _Go get the healer! Now!" Frost barked. The servants rushed to do his bidding while Frost hurried to Peppy's side. The wounded king was deathly still, and he breathed funnily. Peppy slowly blinked open his eyes and stared at Frost with a pleading gaze. "Just be still, sire." Frost assured. He shouted out the door. "Where is that healer?!"_

 _Then, Frost felt a weak grip on his hand, and he looked down to see Peppy staring at him with more urgency. Frost leaned down to hear what Peppy so desperately wanted to say._

" _Malcolm…did this…" Peppy rasped. "Protect…my children…."_

* * *

"Malcolm?" Crystal repeated. "The leader of the imps?"

"Yes." Frost nodded solemnly.

"But why?" Crystal wondered. "What could he gain from that?"

"Revenge? The kingdom?" Frost guessed. "I do not know and I _hate_ not knowing. Worst of all, the slippery eel seems to have disappeared. I fear for Queen Poppy and our brother's safety."

Crystal's thoughts raced. "So what do we do?"

"Watch over Queen Poppy." Frost instructed. "Do not let her out of your sight for a moment. I am going to search for Malcolm."

"What about Branch?" Crystal asked. "What will we do about him?"

"I sent Kiv with a group of volunteers to find you when Foxlen returned." Frost explained. "He may have found our baby brother already, and will bring him back. For now, our focus must be on Queen Poppy."

* * *

Poppy eventually fell asleep, exhausted by recent events. Cooper and Creek kept a close and careful watch on her. Cooper made sure the fire kept going, but even the roaring flames and two blanket-like capes only marginally helped Poppy's shivering. She seemed much calmer now that she slept.

Creek sat in a chair right next to the couch Poppy slept on. He still had her hand in his gentle grip, staring at her face. Creek wished he could see her bright pink eyes again. Those eyes that always sparkled with hope and determination. He lifted a hand and gently brushed his fingers against the pretty glitter freckles on her cheek. He tried to imagine her smile, the same smile that took his breath away. He would do anything to save her. He'd give his life to keep her from dying.

Slowly, hesitantly, Creek stood and leaned down to press his lips against Poppy's.

Cooper stared in shock and awe, praying the kiss would be enough. Creek pulled away, and Poppy's eyes fluttered open. She stared at Creek in confusion.

"Creek?" She murmured. "What are you…?"

It hadn't worked.

"I-I'm sorry." Creek stood hurriedly, suddenly ashamed. "I just…that was stupid, I know—"

"No, no." Poppy reached out to him, and Creek tentatively accepted her hand. She gave his hand a squeeze. "Thank you for trying." She said sincerely. Creek gave a weak smile, his eyes traveling to the ground.

Cooper watched their interaction closely. Not many considered him particularly bright, but he often saw things others didn't. He could see now why the kiss didn't work. There was a bond between Creek and Poppy. But Creek didn't have his heart and soul put forth in it. Poppy seemed to be denying the bond for some reason. If they both accepted that connection they shared, maybe the kiss would've been enough to save Poppy.

Crystal entered the room soon after Poppy fell asleep again. "How is she?"

"Still cold as ice." Cooper said. "And I don't think she's getting any better."

Creek moved aside as Crystal came to sit in his place. The ice troll queen removed her mittens and unclipped her opal necklace from around her neck. She placed the stone on Poppy's chest, careful to not wake the sleeping queen. She put her free hand on Poppy's forehead. Creek and Cooper watched, mesmerized, as Crystal murmured under her breath, and the opal began to glow softly. Some of the white hairs on Poppy's head turned back to pink.

"It's working!" Cooper cheered softly. Creek shushed him so Crystal could focus. After a few minutes, Crystal removed the opal and put it back around her neck. Poppy sighed in her sleep.

"How did you do that?" Creek asked in a quiet voice.

"I have ice powers too." Crystal reminded him. "I was able to pull some of the ice out of her, and the opal repressed the spread for now." She rubbed the opal gem. "This gem has been passed down for generations in the royal family. It's original use was to cleanse a royal ice troll's mind, erase memories they find unnecessary….or much too painful." Crystal looked to Creek and Cooper, sorrow in her eyes. "Before my baby brother ran away, I had planned to use it to erase his memory of knowing Mother's death. Frost and I planned to erase all memory of Mother's death from Branch's and our father's minds, in hopes we could start over."

"Queen Crystal?" Cooper piped up, coming closer to the ice troll. Crystal perked up a little, seeing how this was the first time Cooper regarded her so formally. "You don't have to be sad anymore. You found your brother. And when all this blows over and we bring back summer, you and King Frost can start over with Branch. I think the first thing you ought to do is have a real heart-to-heart. Branch is in a lot of pain, and he's gonna need a lot of help from his whole family to heal him."

Crystal grinned gently. "Thank you, Cooper." The troll llama puffed up his chest in pride, and Creek smiled broadly.

"By the way, did you find King Peppy?" Creek asked. "Poppy needs that act of true love soon."

Crystal's smile fell away. "He's dead. Someone murdered him while we were gone."

Creek and Cooper stared at Crystal in horror. "But without him, how are we going to save Poppy?" Cooper asked desperately.

"With Branch." Crystal said. "He and Poppy…they're soul-bonded. He is her true love. So you two need to return to my baby brother and bring him back here."

"He won't help us when he knows he put ice in her." Creek protested.

"Then you have to convince him that he's the only one who _can_ help!" Crystal ordered. "He is our last hope at saving Poppy's life. Get him to come back and we can save the entire kingdom."

Creek and Cooper exchanged a look. Branch was a stubborn troll, and fiercely protective of his family. He left his siblings because he thought he would kill them. He left Poppy because he was afraid to hurt her. But if they could get him to understand that they weren't afraid—that he wasn't the monster he feared he was—maybe he and his siblings could stop this winter.

"All right." Creek nodded. "We'll drag him back here if we have to!"

"Then go." Crystal commanded. "I will watch over Poppy and slow her freezing. You must hurry!"

"We're on it." Cooper assured. He and Creek sprinted out the door and down to the base of the Troll Tree.

Crystal turned her attention back to Poppy, gently brushing the pink troll's bangs from her face. "You will be all right, Little Sister. I promise."

The second they reached the ground, Creek hopped onto Cooper's back and the llama took off across the frozen river and up the mountain.

Snowflake sat on a frost-covered mushroom, waiting patiently for someone to come fetch her. She drew pictures in the snow to pass the time, getting rather bored with waiting. Then she noticed Creek and Cooper in the distance, and she stood up to better watch them leave. Only they didn't come for her. In fact, they were heading back towards the North Mountain. Snowflake looked back towards the Troll Tree, worry creeping up inside her.

Creek and Cooper ducked under some bushes and kept going. "It took us almost a full day to reach the North Mountain." Creek reminded Cooper.

"That was the long away around, and we left from Drago's trading post!" Cooper corrected. "We're going the short route: straight up!"

Creek looked up towards the North Mountain in the distance. He tightened his grip on Cooper's neck fur. "How fast can you get us up there?"

Cooper's eyes settled into a determined glare. "You just hang on tight."

Cooper suddenly shot out his hair, stretching it like rainbow trolls do, and grabbed a tree limb. He yanked himself and Creek forward, sending them flying through the air and covering almost a quarter of a mile in a matter of seconds.

With their determination as their fuel, the two of them reached the mountains in under an hour, and they arrived at Branch's palace through a similar route Branch himself took when he first ran away.

When they arrived, however, they were shocked to see the ice stairs partially destroyed. The snow around them, though half-smoothed out thanks to the wind, looked disheveled like a battle had taken place. Creek jumped off Cooper and the two of them hurried up and through the open front doors.

"Branch?" Cooper called.

"Your Majesty!" Creek's voice echoed around the room. "Are you in here?" They heard no reply, and then an arctic fox bounded up to them. The anxious animal sniffed and nuzzled Creek until he could calm her down. He and Cooper left her by the fountain while they tried going up a level and to the second floor. They saw a few arrows here and there, and it made them nervous. They shot through the open doors and slid to a stop. The second floor looked worse than they thought: large icicles sticking up in random places, the doors to the balcony destroyed, and the ice chandelier in shambles around them.

A lone figure lay on the ground across the room, and Creek and Cooper sprinted over to him.

"Isn't that Kiv?" Cooper asked.

Creek pushed the figure to his back and saw it truly was his honor guard friend from the ice troll kingdom. "What is he doing here?" Creek murmured. He put his ear to Kiv's chest, sighing in relief when he heard a strong, steady heartbeat. "Kiv? Kiv! Wake up! Come on, Mate, wake up!"

Kiv moaned, his eyes blinking open. "Creek? What the iced devil are you doing here?"

"It's a long story." Creek said, helping Kiv sit up. "What are _you_ doing here? And where's King Branch?"

Kiv suddenly looked all around, and he slammed his fist into the floor. "Frostbite! I'm going to kill that little ice bucking son of a—"

"Whoa, whoa!" Creek said, trying to calm the ice troll. "Easy on the language, Mate! What's wrong?"

"Malcolm. That slimy duke of the imps. He did this!" Kiv declared.


	12. Malcolm's Plot

**A/N: Wow! Should've known what I did in the last chapter would freak you guys out. I really hated to kill off King Peppy, but it had to be done.**

 **Lynnajens21 – Can't help being busy. Happens to all of us. I myself am pretty busy with other writing projects and school, so I don't know if I will be able to do a Beauty and the Beast 2017 story. Besides, I haven't seen the movie yet.**

 **GalaxyMegaGirl – I wondered what your reaction would be at Creek's kiss. Still makes me laugh.**

 **Neomoon585 – Your questions will be answered in this chapter! And later chapters, of course.**

 **Grace – Thank you!**

 **DeZ – Thank you! I didn't want a carbon copy of the movie while substituting the characters. I had to take some originality with it or I would go mad.**

 **Jpbake – Don't worry about the language. I've heard worse from some of my own family. As for Malcolm, well let's just say Frost won't be happy when he finds him.**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve – Malcolm's Plot**

 _Kiv led the search party as they journeyed into the mountains. They received directions from Drago the dwarf and headed to the North Mountain as quickly as they could. When they arrived at the magnificent ice palace, several of the volunteers had to stare in awe._

 _Kiv turned his fox around to face the volunteers. "We are here to find Queen Poppy and Queen Crystal. This is to be a peaceful meeting with King Branch, and no harm will come to him. Understood?"_

 _The volunteers nodded. Kiv caught sight of the imps Malcolm sent. The two henchmen exchanged a look that Kiv didn't like. He would have to keep a close eye on them. He dismounted from his fox and led the way towards the front doors._

 _Suddenly, the boulder of snow next to the stairs came to life to reveal Branch's snow monster, Slushy. The creature growled as he stood, making it clear he did not want them there. Foxlen snarled, but Kiv tried to stay calm. The two imp henchmen had other ideas, and shot a couple arrows from their crossbows. Slushy roared, ice sprouting from his mouth, back, and claws to make him all the more deadlier. Kiv drew his sword, but Slushy swiped at the volunteers and sent several of them slamming into the rocks. Kiv jumped back into the fight almost immediately, his fox steed snarling and swiping her claws at Slushy._

 _Then, Kiv saw movement, and he realized Malcolm's imps ran around the fight to head up the stairs. "Stop!" Kiv ordered. "Come back here!"_

 _The imps didn't stop, and the way they had their crossbows armed indicated to Kiv that they were there to kill Branch, not help him. Growling in frustration, Kiv was forced to focus on the fight with Slushy. Thankfully, Foxlen found her moment and the arctic fox tackled Slushy, giving Kiv and the volunteers time to hurry up the stairs. Kiv stopped when he saw Slushy pin down his fox, and the honor guard ran back. He shouted in effort and sliced his sword through the snow beast's leg before turning and running with Foxlen up the steps. Slushy made a wild grab and broke through the stairs, almost dragging Kiv down with him into the abyss below. Kiv held tight to the broken stairs until Foxlen could grab his hood in her teeth and pull him up._

" _Get inside!" Kiv ordered to the volunteers who waited at the top of the steps. They parted as he raced past them, leading the group up the stairs where they could hear the sounds of a battle. When they arrived, they saw Branch managed to pin one of the imp guards to the wall and he created a wall of ice that began pushing the other imp guard towards the edge of the balcony._

" _King Branch!" Kiv shouted. "Stop this or you'll become the monster they fear you are!"_

 _Branch turned to Kiv and froze. His ice stopped moving, saving the imps' lives even if they didn't deserve it. Branch stared at Kiv with desperation and fear in his eyes._

" _Easy, my king." Kiv said calmly. "We mean you no harm. We need your help down in your kingdom."_

 _Branch seemed to calm down a little, but that fear remained in his eyes. Then Kiv saw the imp against the wall aiming his crossbow for the king's heart. Kiv was across the room in two bounds, smacking the crossbow up just as the imp fired. The arrow accidentally shot through the top of the ice chandelier, sending it falling towards Branch. Kiv acted quickly, shooting ice into the chandelier to knock it off-course just enough to buy him time. He tackled Branch out of the way as the chandelier crashed down behind them. The two trolls slid across the floor and hit the wall._

" _Are you all right?" one of the rainbow troll volunteers called, the rest of the volunteers hesitantly stepping toward the ice troll._

" _I'm fine." Kiv assured, rubbing his shoulder where it hit the wall. He looked to Branch and found him unconscious, no doubt from hitting his head against the wall or floor. "The king is all right as well. We must get him to the Troll Tree immediately!"_

" _I agree."_

 _Everyone turned, and Kiv glared when he saw Malcolm at the doors. "What are you doing here?"_

" _I flew up on one of the birds the elves brought." Malcolm explained simply. "Much of the kingdom was worried when you did not return for so long."_

 _Kiv lifted Branch into his arms. "We are alive and unharmed. The king must return to the Troll Tree."_

" _Yes, of course." Malcolm said, stepping closer to Kiv. "He needs to stop this winter and answer for his crimes."_

" _Crimes?" Kiv scoffed. "You know nothing. Our king did not purposefully curse this land. It was an accident."_

" _And what about that ice_ you _threw?" Malcolm mused accusingly. "Was_ that _an accident too?"_

 _Kiv mentally kicked himself. In his rush to save King Branch, he forgot that King Frost ordered him to hide his ice magic while they were away from their kingdom. "I do not have to answer to you." Kiv growled at Malcolm. "You are not innocent yourself. Why would you come after us if you did not intend to come in the first place? Why are you really here?"_

" _I will not stand here and be accused by a worthless guard." Malcolm sneered._

 _Kiv had a great urge to throttle Malcolm. He was an honor guard, and he took that position_ very _seriously. Right now, he had to focus on the royal in his arms. "King Branch needs the help of my king and queen. Now let's go." He stepped past Malcolm to start for the door._

 _Suddenly, Kiv felt pain explode in the back of his skull, and darkness consumed him._

* * *

"There's no way the other volunteers would've just gone along with that!" Creek protested.

"Unless this Malcolm dude threatened them." Cooper noted. "But then did he kill Branch?"

"No, or else his body would still be here." Kiv said. "Malcolm must have taken King Branch to the Troll Tree."

Creek glanced outside in horror. "Based on how old that battleground is, we must've missed them by minutes!"

* * *

Within the trunk of the Troll Tree, down by its roots, there was a dungeon for those times now and then when the rainbow trolls had criminals in their midst.

As Branch stirred and crawled back to consciousness, he first became aware of the fact that he rested in one of those dungeon cells. He sat up slowly, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. He noticed a window nearby and hurried to it. But something jerked him back by the wrists, and he saw someone had clamped metal shackles around his hands, completely encasing them and preventing him from using his ice magic. Branch stretched his arms out and leaned as far as he could to see out the window. He gasped when he saw everything, from the Troll Tree to the village to the lake, covered in snow and ice. _His_ snow and ice.

"What have I done?" Branch gasped. He turned when he heard the door open, and Malcolm stepped inside. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I had no other choice." Malcolm said regretfully, rubbing his arms. It felt much colder in here.

"But I'm a danger to everyone here!" Branch protested. "Get Poppy! I have to see her!"

Malcolm bit his lower lip. "Queen Poppy has not returned. King Peppy recently left to find her."

Branch whipped around to stare out the window again. _Not here….then where is she? And what is Peppy thinking by going after her?_

"If you would just stop this winter. Bring back summer." Malcolm pleaded.

Branch sighed in frustration. "Don't you get it? I _can't._ I don't know how." Malcolm looked down, disappointed and maybe a bit scared. "You have to let me go. I can't risk hurting anyone else." Branch pressed.

Malcolm sighed. "I will do what I can." He turned and exited the cell.

Branch never felt more fear in his entire life. He just wanted to get away. Far away. Where he couldn't hurt _anyone._ He heard ice crackling, and he saw the cuffs around his hands become encased in frost.

 _Frost….._ Branch's eyes widened. "Wait! Duke Malcolm! Get King Frost! And Queen Crystal! They can help!" He did not hear an answer. "Someone answer me! Please!"

* * *

Frost searched the village for the tenth time but didn't find Malcolm anywhere. He did, however, find one of the volunteers who went to search for Crystal and Poppy.

"You there!" Frost shouted at the rainbow troll, stomping up to him. "Have you see Malcolm?"

"The Duke guy?" the troll asked nervously.

Frost narrowed his eyes. "Where is he?"

"I…..I…" the troll stuttered and stammered.

"For the love of ice, just answer me!" Frost barked.

The troll shrunk down, shaking. But Frost could see he shook with fear, not of the ice troll king but of something even scarier. "He…he threatened…to kill me…..to kill my family….I didn't…I never meant to…"

Frost exhaled slowly through his nose, kneeling down to be at the rainbow troll's eye-level. "Tell me where Malcolm is. Please."

The troll looked to Frost, and then pointed up to the royal pod. Frost turned and sprinted off, riding the elevator up and bursting through the doors to get inside the royal home. He stormed through the palace until he discovered Malcolm walking down one of the hallways, looking suspiciously like he searched for something. The duke of the imps straightened when he saw Frost.

"Ah, King Frost!" Malcolm greeted cheerily. "Have the queens—ack!"

Frost suddenly grabbed Malcolm by the throat and slammed him into the wall, making it shake. "Where have you been?"

"What does it matter to you?" Malcolm growled. He could still breathe, but one wrong move or answer and Frost would snap his neck.

"You've been acting strange ever since you arrived!" Frost snarled. "And then I hear you disappear? That is reason enough to question your motives. Now answer me: where did you go?"

Malcolm weighed his options. If he told the truth, Frost might kill him. If he lied, Frost would beat the truth out of him. "I followed the volunteers to help them find King Branch."

"Why?" Frost demanded. "You volunteered your men but then stayed behind. If you had always wanted to go, why did you not leave in the first place?"

"I don't like that tone, King Frost." Malcolm warned. "I am not below you. I am a duke."

Frost searched Malcolm's eyes, and his grip tightened on the imp's throat. "Where is Kiv? And where is my brother?"

"Brother?" Malcolm sneered. "Oh I see. King Branch is an ice troll. Is that why he and that guard have those powers?"

"Where are they?" Frost growled. Malcolm didn't answer, and he shouted in pain when Frost threw him into a wall. With a flick of his wrist, Frost pinned Malcolm to the wall with his ice. "Answer me, traitor. Or I'll kill you."

"Is the ice troll king really so murderous?" Malcolm taunted. In response, Frost drew his dagger and thrust it to Malcolm's throat. "All right, all right! Let me down, and I'll tell you."

Frost didn't trust Malcolm, but he needed answers fast. So he reluctantly stepped back and released Malcolm. "Talk." Frost ordered.

Malcolm straightened out his robes. "My kingdom is a small one. Poor, and fraught with misery. My people suffer every day, yet we fear the forest too much to leave. Nothing I can do will help them."

Frost knew very well that Malcolm had a twisted image of his kingdom. Malcolm taxed his people heavily and treated them terribly. When the other kingdoms discovered this, they refused to send any more help since it did not ease anyone's lives except Malcolm's. Only King Peppy and Queen Joy, their hearts pure and unfailingly kind, continued to trade with the imps.

"But the Troll Tree. This magnificent kingdom." Malcolm sighed. "They have everything: the trading routes, the adoring citizens, and the _power._ What do King Peppy and Queen Joy do? They just give away all they have willy-nilly. They were not fit to lead."

"So you killed King Peppy to get him out of the way." Frost guessed.

Malcolm's lips twisted into an evil smirk. "He was already dying, King Frost. I put him out of his misery."

Frost's blood boiled, and ice began creeping across the floor. "You're a murderer."

" _I_ am the hero who will save the Troll Tree kingdom from destruction." Malcolm said. "When everyone sees Queen Poppy dead from an icicle, they'll blame King Branch and demand his execution. And I, their savior, will gladly oblige."

Frost suddenly shot a blast of ice from his palm. Malcolm jumped out of the way just in time, drawing a sword hidden under his cloak. Frost twirled his dagger and lunged, his blade clashing with Malcolm's. Malcolm had to jump back again when Frost threw another ice blast. He couldn't even come in for an attack with Frost throwing his ice constantly. Frost's eyes blazed with anger as he shot forward, his dagger raised to kill Malcolm. When the imp ducked under the blade, he tried swinging his sword again. Frost encased his hand in a thick layer of ice and caught the sword, yanking it from Malcolm's hand. The ice fell away, and Frost grabbed Malcolm by his shirt and shoved him into a wall.

Then, Malcolm pulled something from his pocket and thrust it into Frost's neck.

Growling in pain, Frost stepped back as something like claws dug into his flesh. He felt a pod-like object on his neck, and a thick string shot from the pod to wrap around his throat. The cord tightened, and Frost began gasping.

Malcolm chuckled. "That's a Breath Stealer. Don't worry, it won't kill you. It will just knock you out long enough for me to kill Branch and then have you and your sister executed for treason."

Frost strained to get a proper breath in, falling to his knees. Darkness crept into his vision.

"You can't stop me now, King Frost." Malcolm gloated. "By this time tomorrow, I will be king of the Troll Tree."

Frost blacked out.

* * *

Crystal grit her teeth, drawing in as much ice as she could handle. Strands of Poppy's hair turned back to pink, but her skin was still cold to the touch. Even though Crystal could buy Poppy time, she couldn't stop the ice entirely. Where were and Creek and Cooper with Branch? Now that she thought about it, where was her twin?

The ice troll queen gently shook Poppy awake. The pink troll stared up at Crystal and smiled a little. "Hey Big Sis."

Crystal smiled back. "Hello Little Sister."

Poppy blinked a few times in confusion. "Where's my dad?"

Crystal tensed up a little. "He's…..not here…"

"What?" Poppy sat up quickly, panicked. "But he has to be here! Where would he go?" She gasped in pain, clutching her chest, and Crystal eased her back down.

"He went looking for Branch." Crystal blurted out. "Or us. Or both." She cleared her throat. "When your horse and my fox returned without us, your father led a search party to find us. He hasn't returned yet. But don't worry. He's with my most trusted honor guard, Kiv."

Poppy nodded slowly. "But what about the ice? Won't I—"

"You will not turn to solid ice, Poppy." Crystal assured. "I won't let you. I've been drawing out your ice and slowing it down."

Poppy sighed in relief. "But you can't pull the ice out of my heart?"

"I would not dare to try." Crystal said. "I might kill you." She gave Poppy's hand a squeeze. "You're going to be all right. I promise."

"Thank you, Crystal. Really, this means a lot." Poppy said gratefully.

"We're family, aren't we?" Crystal said. "On that note, I must tell you that I need to leave for a while."

Poppy got a mildly panicked look in her eyes. "Where are you going?"

"Frost has been gone too long." Crystal explained. "I need to go find him. Do not worry. I will lock the door so you will be safe."

"Okay." Poppy said. She took a look around. "What happened to Creek and Cooper?"

"They went to find something warm for you to eat." Crystal lied. "Thought it would help."

"Sounds like Cooper's idea." Poppy giggled.

Crystal smiled softly. "I'll be right back." She stood and left the room, locking the door behind her. She wasn't going to risk Malcolm finding Poppy and hurting her. She hated to lie to Poppy, even if she only wanted to make sure Poppy didn't worry. Crystal knew, however, that if Poppy didn't get her act of true love soon, she won't make it to dawn. Crystal hurried down the hallway, hoping she could find Frost quickly. With any luck, Creek and Cooper would return with Branch soon.

* * *

Creek, Cooper, and Kiv still sat in Branch's ice palace, lamenting over the situation. Creek and Cooper explained to Kiv what happened with Poppy.

"We cannot just sit here and do nothing!" Kiv insisted. "There must be some way we can help the little queen."

"How?" Creek droned, sitting with his fist in his cheek and his elbow propped up on his knee. "Malcolm has Branch, and he's Poppy's only act of true love. How are we going to help them?"

"We can save Branch as long as Kiv is with us." Cooper said. "And you, Creek, can save Poppy!"

"Me?" Creek repeated.

"You can save Poppy!" Cooper said. "You can give her a true love's kiss!"

"Cooper, I am not Poppy's true love." Creek argued. "I tried to kiss her, remember? It didn't work."

"Because neither one of you accepted it." Cooper said. Creek stared at him in confusion. Even Kiv paid close attention as Cooper continued. "Look, Creek. You and Poppy have a bond. You just have to accept it, and your kiss will work. You love her."

"I do not!" Creek denied. "I can't love Poppy. She's married."

"Creek." Cooper spoke in a stern tone, unlike anything Creek ever heard from him. "Love is unconditional. You do not have to be _in_ love with Poppy to love her as a friend. Poppy is soul-bonded with Branch. You can accept that and still love her. If you can do that, if you can prove there's a true love of family and friendship between you two, it will save her."

Creek looked down. "But will Poppy accept that? Will she accept…me?"

"You stood by her through this entire ordeal, Creek." Kiv said. "If that is not a true friend, I don't know what is. She would be foolish to not accept you."

Creek still didn't seem sure. "And you're sure that King Branch won't murder me if I kiss his wife again?"

"Who says he has to know about the first one?" Cooper shrugged.

"And when you save Queen Poppy's life, I think the king will let it slide." Kiv noted.

"You _do_ love Poppy, don't you?" Cooper asked.

Creek grinned. "Yes. I do love her." His smile grew and he jumped to his feet. "Cooper? How fast can you run?"

"Faster than the wind." Cooper said confidently. "Kiv, you with us?"

"As an honor guard, I must protect my king." Kiv nodded. "Besides, I want to throttle Malcolm for that little trick he pulled."

"Then let's go!" Creek urged.

* * *

 **A/N: Only a couple chapters to go!**


	13. Snowflake's Lesson

**A/N: I'm sad to say that there's only one more chapter after this one! But the good news is I am also writing up** _ **Frozen Fever!**_ **And I have plans for after this story, which I will tell you in the next chapters!**

 **GalaxyMegaGirl – Yes, I do enjoy your pain and suffering. :D But I also enjoy your happy exclamations. I am sure you will enjoy the ending of this story, just keep reading.**

 **Guest – Poppy and Branch do have a pretty solid bond. They were so cute as kids!**

 **Neomoon585 and other Guest – If the suspense is killing you, then I'm doing my job right. :D**

 **AnimalGirl1507 – Yeah, Creek and Poppy have a familial/friendship kind of love, as will be explained better in this chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen – Snowflake's Lesson**

Malcolm made sure nobody saw him as he searched the palace. Everyone knew the queens had returned, yet they hadn't been seen in a few hours. This proved beneficial for Malcolm. If he could find where Poppy hid, he could kill her silently. It would be all too easy to frame Branch.

Now came the problem of where Poppy could be.

Coming to a locked door, Malcolm became suspicious. He pulled a wire from his pocket and bent it to the proper angle, picking the lock. He peered inside and found the room dark save for the light coming from the fireplace and the window.

"Crystal?" Poppy breathed from the couch.

Malcolm shut the door after him and crept over to the couch. He swung around and wrapped his fingers around Poppy's throat. He recoiled at the icy touch of her skin. That's when Malcolm noticed the lackluster of Poppy's eyes, and the fact that half her hair was white.

"Duke Malcolm?" Poppy sat up, touching her throat where the imp grabbed her.

"Queen Poppy, what is happening to you?" Malcolm asked, confused and shocked.

"Branch struck me with his powers." Poppy explained. "He didn't mean it! But now there's ice in my heart and only an act of true love can save me."

Malcolm stared at Poppy with a gaze that unsettled the queen. The imp smirked darkly. "Well this worked out better than I thought."

"What?" Poppy asked. "Wait, what are you doing?" She watched as Malcolm closed the curtains.

"Your kingdom is so powerful, Queen Poppy." Malcolm said, lifting a metal water pitcher from the side table. "Such a shame you won't be around to rule it."

"No, stop!" Poppy pleaded as Malcolm doused the fire. She tried to stand, but collapsed on the floor. Malcolm tossed the water pitcher aside and once again grabbed Poppy by her throat. It felt like clutching a fistful of snow, but Malcolm kept a firm grip as he pulled Poppy off the ground and to his eye level.

"I have been eyeing your kingdom for years, Queen Poppy." Malcolm sneered. "My original plan was to stage a little accident for Branch and marry you, but then Branch went and hung himself. And you, you were actually dumb enough to go after him. Getting struck with his magic means my job is almost finished and I don't have to soil my hands with the blood of a pretty lady."

Poppy glared hard, and she gathered her strength and kicked Malcolm in the stomach. The imp dropped her, growling. Poppy, though weak and unable to stand, glowered back. "When my father gets his hands on you—"

"Your father is dead." Malcolm said, crouching down. "I killed him myself. And when everyone finds out you froze to death thanks to Branch, it will only solidify him as the murderer. There will be _no one_ to stop me from taking this kingdom."

Poppy's heart broke to learn her father was dead. She kept her furious look. "You're no match for Branch."

Malcolm put a finger under her chin and jerked her head up a bit. "No, _you're_ no match for Branch. Now get comfortable, Your Highness. You're going to die in here." Malcolm headed to the doors.

"You won't get away with this!" Poppy growled.

Malcolm chuckled from his spot in the doorway. "I already have." He shut the door, taking some rope from his robes and tying the doorknobs together so the doors would stay shut.

Poppy ran/stumbled to the doors, futilely tugging on them. Her strength ebbed away to nothing and she collapsed. More of her hair turned white, and Poppy shivered as she pulled her coat tighter around her.

"Crystal…" Poppy could only whisper. "Creek…somebody…help me…please…."

* * *

The visiting kings, queens, and other dignitaries sat in a dining room, desperately trying to stay warm and figure out a solution to the problem at hand. If it were an impending war or a natural disaster, it would be easy. But this was wild magic. Nobody really knew what to do. King Gristle and Queen Bridget sat at their campsite with some of the other royals who wouldn't fit in the royal pod, mostly trying to stay warm and keeping an eye on the freezing kingdom.

"It's getting colder by the minute." The queen of the fairies said, rubbing her arms. "If we don't do something soon, we will all freeze to death."

"Or worse." The lord of the elves said. "What if this eternal winter spreads to our kingdoms?"

"We need to talk to King Branch." Papa Smurf insisted. "He started this winter, which means he can stop it."

"Duke Malcolm already tried that." The queen of the beasts, a ferret, said. "King Branch doesn't know how to stop this. I doubt he knows how he caused it."

"We should consult King Frost and Queen Crystal." The king of the fairies suggested. "They are from the north, so perhaps they have the answer." Only his wife and the queen of the beasts, since they were part of the Compass Kingdoms, knew what the king meant. What if the ice troll twins could stop this winter with their powers?

"Now that I think about it, I have not seen them in several hours." The lord of the elves noted.

The door to the dining room opened, and everyone turned to see who entered. "Duke Malcolm." The king of the dwarves gasped at the solemn look on the imp leader's face.

"Queen Poppy…..is dead…." Malcolm reported. Everyone in the room gasped.

"Not the queen too." The queen of the beasts moaned sorrowfully.

"What happened to her?" the king of the fairies asked as Malcolm came in and leaned on the table.

"She was killed….by King Branch…" Malcolm sighed sadly. "He struck her with his powers."

"Her own husband?" the king of the dwarves asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Yes." Malcolm said. "She died in my arms." He shook his head in pity. "We mustn't let this go unpunished. King Branch must be charged with treason, and we should execute him immediately."

"Execute him?" the queen of the fairies gasped.

"Duke Malcolm, don't you think that's a little rash?" Papa Smurf asked.

"The killing of a royal family member is treason!" Malcolm protested. "Regardless of the murderer's rank."

"Well I refuse to believe that King Branch could ever harm his mate, even accidentally." Papa Smurf said firmly. The other royals murmured in agreement.

"Besides, King Branch may be the only one who can stop this winter." The lord of the elves pointed out.

" _We_ can stop this winter!" Malcolm insisted. "By killing King Branch while we have the chance!"

"Killing King Branch does not guarantee this winter will end." The queen of the beasts snapped. "It might make things worse!"

Malcolm glared in frustration. "King Branch has put us all in grave danger. I say we will never be safe until he is dead." He looked to any of the royals for backup, but nobody seemed to agree with him.

"If I recall correctly, Queen Poppy put King Frost in charge when she left." The queen of the fairies said.

"Yes, and with the death of King Peppy—may he rest in peace—King Frost's power is greatest." The king of the fairies agreed. "He is the one in charge of this kingdom."

"We must speak with the king and queen of the ice trolls immediately." The queen of the beasts decided. She cast a small glare to Malcolm. "And King Branch will stay _alive._ But if you are so worried about your safety, he will stay in the dungeon for now." She looked to the rest of the royals around her. "My friends, spread out and search the palace. We must find King Frost and Queen Crystal as soon as we can."

The royals disappeared, leaving Malcolm alone to seethe in anger. "Fine. I'll show you. I'll be the hero who saves this kingdom." Malcolm fingered the sword hilt under his robes, and he hurried towards the dungeon.

* * *

Branch stared outside the window as a storm began to settle over the land. His distraught emotions caused his ice to spread like wildfire, creeping up the walls and all over the floor and ceiling.

 _I have to get away._ He tugged at the chains around his hands. _I have to leave before I hurt someone else!_

The door rattled. "What?" Malcolm's voice growled from the other side. He pounded on the door. "Branch! You froze the door shut, didn't you? You little pest!"

"Certainly didn't do it on purpose." Branch muttered, straining to pull his hands free.

"Even your precious ice magic can't save you from me!" Malcolm snarled. He drew his sword and started hacking at the door around the handle and lock. When he broke it enough, he started ramming his shoulder into the wood. With a few mighty body-slams, Malcolm managed to break down the weakened door and throw it open.

An empty cell greeted him, the frost-covered metal shackles destroyed and a large hole in the wall.

Malcolm growled. "You can't run from me forever!"

* * *

Crystal ran down the halls of the royal pod, throwing open every door and searching the room for her twin. "Frost!" She called. "Brother! Where are you?" Crystal growled in frustration and hurried down the hall.

Then she stopped, backtracking and looking down another hallway she almost missed. Something glinted in the light coming through the window. Crystal rushed forward to get a better look, and she found her brother's dagger. Crystal saw bits of ice scattered around from a fight. She scanned the area and noticed marks in the shag carpet, looking as though someone was dragged to the closet nearby.

Crystal tried the doorknob, but it was locked. "Frost? Frost! Brother, are you in there?" She didn't hear a sound in answer, yet she had a feeling deep down that her brother was inside. Crystal rattled the door, banging her shoulder against it a few times. Normally, Crystal was a calm, cool, collected queen. But now she was at the end of her rope. In anger, frustration, and impatience, Crystal stepped back, summoned her abilities, and shot a blast of ice into the door. The force of the blow turned the door to splinters, giving Crystal a clear shot inside.

"Frost!" Crystal gasped, kneeling by her unconscious brother's side. "Brother? Oh please wake up." She shook him and even patted his cheeks, but Frost wouldn't rouse. Crystal noticed a cord around Frost's neck, too tight for her to stick a blade between the cord and Frost's throat. The cord seemed to come from a little pod stabbed into Frost's neck. Crystal rummaged around the closet and found a sewing kit, practically dumping it out to find a needle. She jabbed the needle into the pod. As she expected, the pod shriveled up and the cord fell away.

Frost gasped deeply, his eyes shooting open, and he swung his fist towards Crystal. Luckily, she managed to catch his arm.

"Frost! It's me!" Crystal said hurriedly.

Frost panted, pulling his sister into a tight hug. "Sister…"

The twins looked up when they heard crackling ice, and Frost managed to pull him and his sister out of the closet just as icicles pierced the spot they previously occupied.

"What was that?" Crystal asked.

"Branch." Frost guessed. "It has to be!"

"He's here? In the palace?" Crystal gasped. She and Frost jumped when the window nearby burst open. They stared outside and saw a blue shape through the snow blowing in the wind.

"It's Branch!" Frost realized.

"We must go after him!" Crystal urged.

"But what about Queen Poppy?" Frost demanded. "Where is she?"

"She is fine." Crystal assured. "She is safe, but she does not have much time left."

"Then we must help her!" Frost started to run off, but Crystal grabbed his arm and held him back.

"She will not make it to dawn." Crystal warned. "Our little brother needs to help her. Save him, and we save both of them."

Frost glanced out the window. If they lost Branch now, they may never get him back, much less save Poppy. "Very well. Let's go!"

The twins took off to exit the palace. No matter what stood in their way, they were going to save their family.

* * *

Cooper ran faster than the wind, ignoring the fact that Creek held tight to his dreadlocks. Kiv rode his fox steed alongside Cooper and Creek, the quartet making it down the mountain in record time. As they approached the bottom of the mountain, the Troll Tree came into view.

"Uh, what's that?" Cooper asked worriedly.

Creek and Kiv took a look. A dense white cloud of snow began swirling around the Troll Tree, spreading out to the rest of the kingdom.

"It must be King Branch." Kiv guessed. "His ice is out of control."

"Poppy!" Creek gasped. _She might be in danger!_ "Faster, Cooper!"

"You got it!" Cooper called.

* * *

Poppy shivered violently. She had never felt so cold in her entire life. Her energy was sapped away. She couldn't call for help or even rebuild the fire to help her. All her hair had since turned pure white. She looked up and saw frost and ice creeping along the ceiling. It seemed Branch was even worse off than her.

 _Branch…I wish I could see you again…_ Poppy heard the doorknob jiggling, and someone outside tried to pull the doors open.

"Help….." Poppy whispered weakly.

Suddenly, an axe blade burst from the crack between the doors, and Poppy just managed to move out of the way as the door opened and the axe fell forward.

Snowflake giggled as she skipped into the room. Then she gasped in horror. "Poppy!"

"Snowflake…." Poppy shivered again.

"Oh no." Snowflake moaned. She looked up towards the fireplace and bounded over to it. She gathered up as much fresh wood as she could carry and tossed it into the fireplace. She yelped when she realized she accidentally threw her stick arm in as well, and she quickly stuck it back where it belonged. Snowflake found a box of matches and struck one against the stone of the mantle. She tossed the match in, and the logs ignited almost instantly.

"Snowflake!" Poppy gasped. "G-get away from there!"

Snowflake stared in awe. "Wow. So this is heat. I love it." She put her stick hands up to the flames, but one of her fingers caught fire. She quickly stuck her finger in her head to snuff out the flames. "But don't touch it." Snowflake hurried back to Poppy and helped her crawl over and sit by the fire. Though the heat helped, Poppy still felt incredibly weak. Snowflake stared at her worriedly. "What happened to your dad? Where is he?"

Poppy's eyes welled up with tears. "He's gone, Snowflake. He's dead."

"But we ran all the way here." Snowflake protested in a soft, innocent voice.

"Snowflake, please, you can't stay here." Poppy urged, glancing worriedly at how close Snowflake stood to the fire. "You'll melt!"

"I am not leaving here until we find some other act of true love to save you." Snowflake said in determination, plopping down next to Poppy so the pink troll was between her and the fire. Snowflake thought for a moment. "Uh, do _you_ have any ideas on how to find another act of true love to save you?"

Poppy sighed. "Only Branch. He is my true love, after all." She swallowed. "I wish Creek's kiss had worked. I just want to live long enough to help Branch. To tell him how much I love him."

"Creek kissed you?" Snowflake asked excitedly. "So why didn't it work?"

"Because I can't love him." Poppy said.

"What do you mean you can't?" Snowflake gasped. "Has your heart froze for good? Did it turn to stone? Are you ever going to love again?"

Poppy chuckled softly. "No, Snowflake. I'm married." She pulled off one of her mittens to show Snowflake the wire and string engagement ring Branch made for her. "See? Branch is my husband. My soulmate. I can't love Creek and love Branch at the same time."

"Sure you can!" Snowflake said. "That's one of the best things about love. You can give as much of it away to whomever you want, and you never run out."

Poppy stared at Snowflake. "I just don't want to seem…..unfaithful, you know?"

"Do you want to marry Creek?" Snowflake asked.

"No." Poppy said.

"Then don't worry about it!" Snowflake assured. "You love him! I can see it! You two are very very very very very very very good friends and you love each other!"

Poppy blushed. "Creek really does love me, doesn't he?"

Snowflake came around to be face-to-face with Poppy, staring at her strangely. "You really don't know a lot about love, do you?" Her nose began to slip down her face, and she pushed it back up again.

Poppy gasped. "Snowflake! You're melting!"

Snowflake smiled gently. "Some people are worth melting for." Poppy smiled back, touched by such a gestured. But standing so close to the flames made Snowflake's face droop and she hurriedly pushed it up again. "Just maybe not right this second." She shrieked a little when the window flew open, sending frigid air into the room. Poppy shivered, and Snowflake rushed to close the window again. "Don't worry!" Snowflake assured. "We are gonna—" She paused when she saw something outside, and she pulled down an icicle and bit off the pointed end. She stared through the icicle like a spyglass and she gasped. "It's Creek and Cooper! And an ice troll I never met before! They're heading this way!"

"They are?" Poppy gasped.

"Wow, they're _really_ moving fast!" Snowflake said in awe.

Poppy's eyes widened. _Creek can save me…and then I can go save Branch!_ "Snowflake, help me up! Please."

"No!" Snowflake ran over and pulled Poppy back towards the fire. "You need to stay by the fire and keep warm."

"I have to get to Creek." Poppy corrected.

"Why?" Snowflake asked. Poppy gave her a knowing look, and the snow-troll gasped. "I know why! There's an act of true love for you right there! Riding down the mountain like a gallant llama king! Let's go!" She helped Poppy to her feet and started pulling her towards the door.

Then, the girls heard ice cracking, and they gasped as large icicles formed from the ceiling and stretched towards them.

"Look out!" Snowflake cried, pulling Poppy from the room. They ran as fast as they could with Poppy's weakened condition, ice stretching across the walls and floors and ceilings of the hallways. They didn't get very far before large icicles speared through the floor and walls to block their path.

"Oh no." Poppy breathed.

"Uh, this way!" Snowflake tried pulling Poppy the other direction, but more icicles appeared to stop them. "We're trapped."

Poppy stared in horror. How would they get out of this? Her eyes darted around and then fell upon the window. She banged her shoulder against it, but she just wasn't strong enough. Snowflake caught on and stepped back to the other side of the hallway. She sprinted forward, jumped off the chair below the window, and smashed right through the glass. Poppy grabbed Snowflake before she could fall, carefully climbing through the broken window. Poppy lifted Snowflake into her arms, the two of them staring down at the ground far below them.

"Jump, Poppy!" Snowflake urged. Poppy obeyed, timing herself just well enough and stretching out her hair to make a set of stairs for her to stumble down. "We made it!" Snowflake cheered. She took Poppy's hand and they stared at the great cloud of snow before them.

Frost and Crystal burst out of the elevator, shocked by the storm.

Malcolm managed to get out of the dungeon by crawling out the hole Branch made.

Creek, Cooper, and Kiv arrived at the shores of the frozen lake.

At once, Snowflake, Poppy, Crystal, Frost, Creek, Cooper, Kiv, and Malcolm plunged themselves into the storm.

Branch couldn't see a thing in the snow and wind. He just wanted to get as far away as possible. He had no idea how many people were now caught in the storm he made.

* * *

 **A/N: I'd apologize for the cliffhanger, but I just love them so much! Until the next chapter! (although most of you ought to know what happens by now)**


	14. An Act of True Love

**A/N: H** **ere's the (hopefully) exciting conclusion to** _ **Frozen Trolls!**_

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen – An Act of True Love**

Snowflake pulled Poppy along, keeping her steady as they made their way through the storm. "Creek!" Poppy shouted, the wind carrying her voice away. "Creek!"

"Auntie Creek!" Snowflake called.

Frost and Crystal stayed together, trying to battle the storm with their powers. "Baby Brother!" Crystal yelled.

"Branch!" Frost bellowed. "Where are you?"

Cooper, Creek, and Kiv flinched when they hit the wall of snow and wind. They didn't dare stop, though. They passed by a few of the ships, still locked in place. Thanks to the harsh winds, the ships began to shift, breaking up the ice. Cooper and Foxlen leaped over the uneven ground, careful to keep their riders on their backs.

"Which way to shore?" Kiv shouted over the wind.

"No idea!" Creek called back. "We'll find it when we hit it!"

Meanwhile, Poppy continued to shiver, leaning heavily on Snowflake as they pushed through the storm. They jumped when a nearby ship creaked. Thankfully, it didn't fall over on them.

"Come on!" Snowflake urged, her grip tight on Poppy's hand. "Keep going!"

Poppy nodded slowly. The hand Snowflake held was still covered by her mitten. Her free hand she held to her chest because she left her other mitten back in the palace. Poppy looked down to her hand, staring at her engagement ring for motivation. Then, she saw a thin layer of frost appear over her hand, and her fingers turned blue.

"No….." Poppy gasped. _Not yet. I can't die yet._

Snowflake saw Poppy's fingers, and she whimpered a little. "Come on, Poppy!" She kept pulling Poppy along, occasionally shouting for Creek.

The snow was so thick that Kiv, Cooper, and Creek could only see a few feet in front of them. So, naturally, they didn't see the ship falling towards them until it was almost on top of them. Kiv pulled back his fox steed.

"Keep going, Creek!" Kiv ordered. "Go!"

Cooper didn't even slow down. Creek ducked and dodged flying debris from the ship as Cooper weaved his way through and avoided every obstacle. Luckily, Cooper managed to jump out of the way as the bow of the boat slammed down behind them. The force caused the ice to crack and break apart. No matter how fast he ran, the ice beat Cooper and a field of ice chunks floated free before him. But when Cooper looked beyond that, he saw solid ice that hadn't broken yet. So he leaped forward, landed on one of the ice platforms, and used the momentum to buck Creek off his back and onto solid ground.

Creek grunted in pain as he hit the ice, and his heart nearly stopped when he heard a splash. "Cooper!" He scanned the ice for his friend, dreading every second that passed when he did not come up again. A green hat floated to the surface.

Suddenly, Cooper's head came up from under the hat, and he scrambled onto solid ground. He shook like a rattlesnake's tail, accepting Creek's hug. "G-g-g-g-g-go….f-f-f-f-find P-P-P-P-P-P-P-Poppy."

Creek nodded firmly, and he took off into the storm once more.

Snowflake struggled a little to keep Poppy upright. Frost and ice continued to creep up and cover Poppy's clothing. It even sneaked up her neck and to her cheeks. She lost all energy to shout.

Snowflake wouldn't give up. "Creek! Creek, where are you?"

Creek was deep in the storm, and didn't have a clue which way to go. He froze for a moment. What was that sound? "Snowflake?"

"Auntie Creek!" The wind carried Snowflake's voice right to him.

"Snowflake…" Creek breathed. "Poppy!" He took off again, but he only made it so far before he slammed into someone and sent them both to the ground. Creek looked up and his eyes widened. "Branch!"

Branch scrambled to his feet, staring at Creek in fear. "Please just stay away from me."

"Branch, Mate, you can't keep running from this!" Creek protested.

"Sure I can!" Branch insisted. "I've been running from it my whole life! I just don't want to hurt anyone!"

"You're hurting the people closest to you _by_ running away!" Creek said.

Branch felt stuck to the ground, wanting to run and wanting to stay at the same time. "Just take care of Poppy for me. Tell Frost and Crystal I'm sorry."

"You can do that yourself!" Creek practically ordered. "Branch, Poppy needs your help. You froze her heart! She's as cold as ice and her hair is turning white. If you don't help her, she will die!"

"She'll die because of me." Branch stared at the ground. "If you like her so much, _you_ save her."

Creek grabbed Branch by the shoulders and shook him. "I'm _trying_ , Branch! I'm trying to save her! But _she's_ the one trying to save _you_!" He waited for Branch to look him in the eyes, and Creek lowered his arms. "She loves you so much, Mate. I know you love her….even more than I do…and I know we'd both die to save her. So are you going to help me save her or not?"

Branch analyzed Creek's gaze. He exhaled shakily. "O-okay…."

"You're too late."

Creek and Branch turned to see Malcolm standing a short distance away. He had a round shield strapped to one arm, stolen from one of the ships. Creek adjusted his position to stand more protectively between Branch and Malcolm.

"I saw the queen myself, King Branch." Malcolm said. "She was cold as the snow. It was too late to save her. Your queen is dead, Branch, because of _you._ "

Everything just stopped for Branch. "No….." Poppy was dead? Poppy—the bubbly, happy, ever-optimistic troll he loved—was dead? It just didn't compute in his brain. Then he remembered: he was the one who shot Poppy in the heart. Branch stumbled back a bit and turned away from Malcolm. He fell to his hands and knees.

Suddenly, a shockwave spread from Branch. The wind disappeared, and the snowflakes previously blown around froze in midair. Branch sobbed silently, clawing at the ice in his anguish. Creek swayed a little, his knees almost giving out. He was too late. How could this happen? If only his first kiss had worked. Yet there was a feeling inside Creek that said Poppy was still alive.

Creek's ears twitched when he heard the sound of metal scraping on wood. He spun around to see Malcolm approaching with his sword drawn, the imp's eyes locked onto Branch. "Hey, back off!" Creek snapped, stepping between Malcolm and Branch.

"Out of my way, boy." Malcolm ordered.

"No!" Creek growled. "I won't let you kill him."

"Why not?" Malcolm demanded. "What is he to you?"

Creek glanced back to Branch with a confident smirk. "My stepbrother." He lunged for Malcolm, but the imp backhanded him across the face and sent Creek sprawling, sliding across the ice. "All right…" Creek groaned. "That was rather foolish." Malcolm moved towards Branch again, and Creek jumped up to his feet. He threw his hair out and wrapped it around Malcolm's wrist, stopping his strike. Branch still knelt on the ice, shell-shocked so much he couldn't move nor register anything around him.

"Let go, you little worm!" Malcolm growled, trying to pull his hand free. Creek stood firm up until Malcolm switched the sword to his other hand and tried to slice through Creek's hair. Creek retracted his locks, running forward to step in front of Branch. Malcolm snarled. _"Move."_

"Over my dead body." Creek growled.

"That can be arranged." Malcolm assured. He raised his sword and began to swing it down. Creek stood firm, and his eyes widened when a blast of ice came from behind him and struck Malcolm's blade, shocking the imp and making him step back.

" _Get away from my brothers!"_

Creek jumped when Frost shot past him, his dagger drawn. Frost and Malcolm immediately engaged in a fierce sword fight.

"Creek! Branch!" Crystal appeared, kneeling down to look over Branch. She smiled at Creek. "You're late."

"And you cut it a little close, my queen." Creek said. He and Crystal looked back to the fight as Malcolm twisted Frost's arm around and threw him aside. Crystal drew her dagger and ran into battle. Creek joined her. They wouldn't let anything happen to Branch, especially not Frost and Crystal. The twins finally found their brother, and they weren't going to let him get hurt again.

Snowflake and Poppy certainly appreciated that the wind stopped. Poppy still couldn't stand without Snowflake's help. She scanned the area for any sight of Creek and found Cooper instead when he galloped over and nuzzled her affectionately.

"H-hey Cooper." Poppy breathed. She groaned in pain, and Cooper had to help Snowflake steady the pink queen.

Cooper scanned the area for a moment and his eyes locked on the battle between Malcolm and the ice troll twins and Creek. Kiv had joined the fight too. Malcolm was able to hold his own, but his opponents did their job in keeping him away from Branch. If Poppy could get a kiss from Branch or Creek, it would save her.

"Hang on, queenie!" Cooper said, scooping up Poppy and Snowflake and tossing them on his back. "You got a troll to kiss!"

Malcolm didn't have the powers the ice trolls had. But he had his shield and sword, and he had the skill to deflect any ice blast coming towards him. Frost and Crystal had their daggers and Kiv had his sword, but they also had to worry about Malcolm's trickery. He had a couple more Breath Stealers, knocked aside when he threw them. He scooped up snow and threw it into his opponents' faces. He would use his shield as a weapon too, smashing it into whoever attacked him. Frost grabbed the shield and ripped it off Malcolm's arm, almost taking the imp's arm with it. He tossed it aside, and then Malcolm punched him in the jaw, grabbed the ice troll's arm, and judo-flipped him aside. Frost slipped on the ice and hit Creek, the two of them crashing into a pile of ice and snow.

"Creek!" Cooper shouted.

Creek and Frost looked up as the troll llama hurried towards them from across the frozen lake. "Queen Poppy!" Frost sighed in relief when he saw her.

"She's alive." Creek gasped.

Snowflake held tight to Poppy with one stick arm and Cooper's neck with her other arm. "Hurry, Cooper!"

"I'm going! I'm going!" Cooper yelped when his feet hit some slippery ice and he hit the ground hard. Poppy and Snowflake tumbled off his back.

"Poppy!" Creek called, scrambling to his feet.

"Creek…." Poppy shakily stood and started towards him. They were quite a distance away. But if Creek could run fast enough to reach her, Poppy would be saved. Just a little bit farther….

Poppy heard a cry of pain, and she looked over to the fight, even closer to her than Creek was. Malcolm had brutally slapped Crystal and sent her in a daze, grabbing Kiv by his hair and throwing him into Frost. Kiv almost stabbed Frost from this, and both of them struggled to get their breath back. Malcolm approached Branch, his sword held ready. Branch was still numb to it all, mourning Poppy's "death." Crystal pushed off the ground and slid across the ice to wrap her arms protectively around Branch. She braced herself for Malcolm's strike.

"Branch…" Poppy breathed. She glanced to Creek, still running as fast as he could to get to her. If she waited for his kiss, Branch would die. If she tried to save Branch, she would die. Only one of them would live today.

"Poppy, stop!" Creek shouted as Poppy turned and ran towards Crystal and Branch.

Malcolm raised his sword.

" _NO!"_ Poppy screamed, putting herself between the imp and the ones she loved.

In an instant, Poppy turned to solid ice.

Malcolm's blade shattered against the frozen Poppy, and a shockwave knocked Malcolm backwards. The shrapnel from his sword pierced Malcolm's chest and neck. He choked on blood until Frost could create icicles and kill the imp with them.

Frost hurried to Crystal and Branch, pulling them both into a tight hug. "Are either of you hurt?"

Crystal shook her head, holding Branch close. "Baby Brother….don't ever scare us like that again."

Branch looked up to Crystal. Then he looked past her and his eyes widened. "Poppy!" He jumped to his feet, staring at Poppy in horror. Frost and Crystal stood as well, their gazes filled with grief. Kiv looked down. Creek and Cooper couldn't tear their eyes from Poppy.

"Mommy?" Snowflake whimpered, clutching Cooper's leg.

Branch cupped Poppy's face with his trembling hands, tears running down his cheeks. "Poppy…..no…..no, please…..please don't leave me, Poppy. I love you." He breathed heavily, pressing his forehead to Poppy's. "I'm sorry, Poppy. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." He never got a response, and he never would. Branch broke down, wrapping his arms around Poppy's frozen form and sobbing. Cooper nuzzled Snowflake comfortingly, even when his own tears began to fall. Creek hung his head. Kiv went down to one knee and bowed his head in respect and mourning. Crystal put a fist to her mouth, tears threatening to spill. Frost held her close. Since the storm had frozen still, everyone in the kingdom could see what happened, and they grieved for the loss of the troll queen.

Suddenly, Snowflake gasped. "Look!"

Everyone's heads shot up, and Branch jumped back when he saw a glow coming from Poppy's icy chest, where her heart lay. From there, the ice began to thaw and disappear. Poppy gasped softly as the ice completely vanished, leaving her alive and well. All the white left her hair, and even the blue streak did not remain.

"Poppy!" Branch gasped, pulling her into a tight hug.

Poppy kissed Branch's cheek. "Oh Branch."

"You're alive." Branch laughed, setting Poppy down and smiling broadly. "You're alive and you…you….." He frowned a little, giving Poppy a light shove. "You big dummy! You almost died! I mean, you…" He sighed in disbelief. "You almost sacrificed yourself…for me?"

"Branch," Poppy placed a hand on her husband's cheek. "I love you." She pulled him in for a kiss. One he happily reciprocated.

Snowflake gasped happily. "An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart!"

"You saved yourself by saving our brother." Frost breathed in amazement.

"Really?" Creek laughed, relief washing over him. "Poppy? You couldn't just go the easy route and get a kiss?" Everyone laughed, and Cooper gave Creek a playful shove.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Branch asked.

"When you froze Poppy's heart, the Magi Trolls told us only an act of true love could save her." Crystal explained.

Branch blinked in realization. "Love will thaw." He gasped softly. "Love. Of course!"

"Branch?" Poppy questioned confusedly.

"Don't worry." Branch assured with a wide smile. "I got it." He took a few steps back and focused on what he wanted to do. He thought about all the things and people he loved: his kingdom, his home, his surrogate parents, his siblings, and especially Poppy.

Branch pushed his palms out and towards the ground. The snowflakes that hung in the air began to rise, and Branch lifted his arms up. The snow and ice rose up, uncovering the summer. The lake and river unfroze. Flowers bloomed. The skies became clear and blue. The trolls had to steady themselves as the ship they stood on bobbed in the thawed water. Branch closed his hands above his head, a snowflake appearing in the sky. With a wave of his hands, the snowflake disappeared and the curse was lifted.

Poppy smiled, nudging Branch playfully. "I knew you could do it."

"Well of course he could!" Frost gave Branch a light slap on the back that nearly knocked him to the ground. "He's _our_ brother, after all."

"Hands down, this is the best day of my life." Snowflake said, beginning to melt in the hot summer sun. "And quite possibly the last."

"Snowflake." Branch chuckled. "Hang on, girlie." He swirled a hand around, and Snowflake magically reconstructed to her original form. A small cloud appeared over her head, and snow fell over her.

Snowflake giggled. "My own personal flurry!"

Crystal smiled warmly at Branch. "You scared us, Baby Brother."

"You're not allowed to do that again." Frost added, crossing his arms.

Branch rubbed the back of his head. "So…you're not mad at me?"

Crystal pulled Branch into a hug, and Frost joined in the embrace. "Of course not." Crystal sighed. "We missed you." Branch blinked to keep his tears back, immersing himself in his siblings' loving embrace.

Poppy hugged Creek and Cooper. "Thanks for coming back, guys."

"Well, we're friends, aren't we?" Cooper said with a mile-wide smile.

"And we love you very much." Creek added.

Poppy hugged Creek tightly. "I love you too." She kissed his cheek, and Creek blushed fiercely. Cooper cleared his throat with a grin, and Poppy laughed as she kissed his cheek too.

Suddenly, the crystals around Creek's and Cooper's necks began to glow, and they changed colors. Cooper's crystal turned royal blue. Creek's became a swirled mixture of blue and pink.

"We earned our crystal colors!" Cooper cheered.

"Wow!" Poppy breathed. "What do they mean?"

"Mine is for friendship." Cooper said.

"Same for the blue of mine. And that pink color?" Creek beamed. "That's for love."

"Will you get your powers now?" Poppy asked.

"Yep." Creek nodded. "They'll come into light soon enough."

"Creek." Frost spoke up. "Come. We need to talk." He placed a hand on Branch's shoulder. "As a family."

* * *

Frost, Crystal, Creek, and Branch settled in the drawing room in the royal pod. Frost, Crystal, and Creek told Branch the full story of Creek's father and his relationship with Frost and Crystal's mother. They told Branch of how he came to be born, and how Caspian died. Branch listened carefully, a little in shock that Creek was his half-brother.

"So was I just an experiment?" Branch asked when the story finished.

"No, of course not." Crystal assured.

"Mate, a rainbow troll can't even be conceived unless there's love between the two trolls and for the baby." Creek pointed out. "Maybe the whole idea started as an experiment, but you wouldn't be here if your mother didn't love you."

Branch nodded slowly. "What about Father? Why did he hate me?"

"He did not hate you, Brother. He loved you." Frost said. "Father just had a hard time coping with Mother's death. It was like he had to trade his wife for a son."

"We all suffered when Mother passed." Crystal said. "But we loved you so much and it hurt when you left. We thought you were dead."

Branch sighed. "I'm sorry I ran away. When I found out how Mother died, I thought Father treated me the way he did because he blamed me." He swallowed. "Did…..did he even miss me when I left?"

"He searched for you for days." Frost said. "It killed him to believe you were gone."

"He did love you, Branch." Crystal said. "Make no mistake about that."

Branch began to smile. "I'm glad you came back. Really. I missed you two a lot."

"We apologize for any distress we caused." Frost said.

"None of this would've happened if I had learned to control my powers instead of bottling them up." Branch said. "So do you think you two could stick around? Help me practice this powers?"

"We would be honored." Frost said.

"It would be nice to see your kingdom when it's all thawed out." Crystal added.

Branch looked to Creek. "You can stick around too, if you want. We are family, after all."

Creek grinned. "Thanks, Mate."

* * *

The kingdom and visiting dignitaries took a few days to fix up any damage to the ships and hold a wake for King Peppy. The lord of the elves offered to take Malcolm's imp henchmen as his prisoners, with the promise that the imp kingdom would be informed of their leader's death. Poppy also asked that the lord of the elves see that a new leader is elected. Branch wanted assurance to be passed to the imps that trading with their land would continue as long as a proper ruler guided them.

Poppy pulled Creek and Cooper along excitedly, the lavender troll laughing all the while. "Poppy, what is all of this about?"

"You'll see!" Poppy said in a singsong voice. She pulled them to Frost and Crystal, who waited at the docks with something covered by a tarp.

"My king, what is with that smile?" Creek asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Frost shrugged with that same crafty smirk on his lips. "Sister?" Crystal pulled off the tarp, and Creek's and Cooper's jaws dropped when they saw the gorgeous sled that lay underneath.

"I owed you a sled." Poppy shrugged.

"Are you serious?" Creek breathed.

"Yes!" Poppy squealed. "And it's the latest model! Mahogany, polished lacquer, the works!"

"Sweet!" Cooper cheered.

"No, we can't take this." Creek insisted humbly.

"You have to!" Poppy affirmed.

"King's orders." Frost explained. "King Branch has named you the Troll Tree's official ice master and deliverer."

"And ambassador between the rainbow and ice trolls." Crystal added.

"Really?" Creek and Cooper asked at once.

"You're best suited for the job." Poppy said. "Besides, while you guys are visiting, Cooper can hang out with Snowflake."

"Where is that little rascal?" Cooper wondered. It was no secret that he and Snowflake developed their own kind of sibling-like relationship.

"Summer!" Snowflake cheered, bursting from a stand of flowers nearby. She cuddled a bouquet like it was a teddy bear, taking a deep sniff of the lovely plants. She snorted a bit and suddenly sneezed hard, sending her carrot nose flying. Crystal and Frost ducked and the vegetable went flying before hitting Kiv while the guard brushed Foxlen's fur. The carrot hit Kiv in the head and caused him to do a back flip right off the dock and into the water.

"I'll get him!" Cooper called, jumping and doing a cannonball off the dock. Of course, this really only succeeded in getting Kiv even wetter.

"My nose!" Snowflake yelped as she darted after the vegetable.

Poppy shook her head. "You know, maybe you should take Snowflake up to the ice troll kingdom now and then." She suggested to Frost and Crystal.

"And let that little blizzard run around like crazy?" Frost scoffed. "Not on your life."

Creek noticed a crowd of rainbow trolls heading for a fenced-off area a short distance away. "Hey! The skating rink is almost up! Let's go!" Poppy cheered as she and Creek hurried off, Frost and Crystal jogging after them.

In the fenced-off area, Branch took a look around at the rainbow trolls who gathered. "Are you ready?" The trolls cheered and clapped excitedly. Branch lightly stomped his foot down, and ice spread out to create a skating rink in the fenced area. It warmed Branch's heart to hear the awed comments from the trolls instead of shouts of terror. He created a snowball between his palms and threw it into the air, sending a bit of snow falling around them.

Poppy almost slipped on her way to Branch, but the blue troll caught her. "I like the open gates." Poppy said.

"We are never closing them again." Branch promised. With a wave of his hand, skates made of ice appeared over Poppy's feet.

"Oh, Branch, they're beautiful!" Poppy gasped. "Uh, but you know, I can't actually—"

"Come on, you can do it!" Branch pulled her along, the two of them skating across the ice.

"Watch out! Llama coming through!" Creek called as he and Cooper skated past.

"I don't got it! I don't got it!" Poppy yelped, almost falling.

"Hey guys!" Snowflake called, coming up and pushing Poppy upright again.

"On your left!" Crystal warned, skating by and holding Frost's hand so the ice troll king wouldn't fall.

"Not very graceful, are you, Brother?" Branch joked.

Frost rolled his eyes and pulled Branch into a headlock, ruffling his hair. "And you're not very quick!"

Crystal and Poppy shared a look and laughed. The ice troll queen gave Poppy's hand a squeeze. "Thank you, Poppy. You've made my family whole again."

Poppy grinned as Frost slipped, taking Branch and Creek to the ground with him. The boys laughed heartily. "I should be thanking you. My family is _happy_ again, and a whole lot bigger." She hugged Crystal, who returned the embrace. "I love you, Big Sis."

Crystal laughed softly. "I love you too, Little Sister."

THE END

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Following this story, I will be publishing a Cinderella Trolls for your reading enjoyment!**

 **Neomoon585 – Aw, thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed my work!**

 **AnimalGirl1507 – Thank you!**

 **BornOnTheBreakOfDawn – Don't think of it as a "friendship love," think of it as more a family love. Like how Bridget loves Poppy, if that helps.**

 **FandomsAreLoveFandomsAreLife – I will be doing Cinderella and I have plans for more stories! I am going to make a poll for people to vote on the next adaptation after Cinderella.**

 **NerdAlert8910 – Cyber high-five back to you! I'm so glad you enjoyed this story!**

 **Guest – Yeah, what Branch and Poppy have is so cute.**

 **The PokemonTroll21 – If you thought it was a real movie, that means I must've done pretty well! Thank you!**

 **Guest (other one) – Hope you enjoy this last chapter!**

 **R.R.E. – Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed this story and my Beauty and the Beast story!**

 **A special thanks to Turtle Babe for letting me use the ice trolls, especially Frost, Crystal, Kiv, and even their fox Foxlen!**


End file.
